Abolish Islands Trust News · 2026-10-08
The budget and tax ask rose, but value is an open question
The presenters in this report, Sienna Rodriguez and Zara Kim, are AI-generated characters, not real people, and their voices are synthetic. The script was written from the public documents listed under the video. It is a campaign broadcast that argues a position, not independent journalism. Published by Tony Aly, abolishislandstrust.org.
The approved budget plans spending of $11.8 million, up 5.1 percent. The tax ask from areas that already pay is up 8.1 percent, but those figures do not prove waste.
Sources
Transcript
SIENNA RODRIGUEZ: Hello Islanders. The budget went up, and so did the tax ask. This is a private Abolish the Islands Trust campaign broadcast, not independent journalism.
ZARA KIM: The Trust says the budget keeps services at the same level and pays for a few chosen projects. The approved budget plans to spend $11.8 million. Total planned spending is up 5.1 percent. The tax ask from areas that already pay is up 8.1 percent.
SIENNA RODRIGUEZ: Those percentages use different starting points. One counts all spending; the other counts only money asked from areas that already pay. Keep them together, but do not treat them as the same measure. To promise savings from shutting the Trust down, first price out the switch dollar by dollar. Then test the same service before and after, on the same terms.
ZARA KIM: A budget on its own is not proof of waste, fraud or useless work. The money pays for real work: planning, running the body, enforcing rules and protecting nature. Shutting the Trust down could cost money too.
SIENNA RODRIGUEZ: Show us, for each service, what it does, what it achieved, who gave it the power, what one unit costs, and what a town council or regional district would take over. Read the exact demand, add your name, and confirm your email. Abolish Islands Trust Dot Org.