Administrators in the Kenai Peninsula Borough are continuing to work through a review and reboot of the tax codes. They have suggested a timeline where any approved recommendations would take effect by January of 2017.
Borough Mayor Mike Navarre will present an update on the process to the Borough Assembly tonight during the regular 6:00 pm meeting.
Mayor Navarre: “With respect to the property tax and sales tax codes, we’re doing a comprehensive review because that hasn’t happened in a while and exemptions were put in from time to time based on a specific point in time and I guess rationale at that time. And you ought to review that in terms of what those impacts are, how those impacts are grown, where the taxes are falling, where the tax burden is falling on residents and businesses and make a determination about whether or not changes make sense or not.”
A memo to the mayor states that two teams have been reviewing property and sales tax codes line by line, looking at items that need updating, clarification or change.
The proposed timeline for that working group suggests draft borough assembly ordinances might be presented and public hearings conducted in the summer and fall of 2016.
Full timeline here:
- November 2015: Present you with an outline of issues under consideration, seeking guidance on policy calls and which items to pursue further.
- December 2015 and January 2016: Gather input from the cities within the borough on any issues they believe should be addressed in the overall property/sales tax review.
- February 2016 or March 2016: Present a rough listing of the issues – not draft ordinances -to the borough assembly for informational purposes.
- April- May 2016: Drafting work.
- Summer/Fall 2016: Present draft ordinances to the assembly and conduct public hearings.
- January 1, 2017: Any changes would take effect at the start of the new year
