Volunteers are circulating a ballot initiative petition this week to reduce the senior property tax exemption from $300,000 to $200,000.
Reducing this exemption is necessary in order for our government to fully fund essential services without depleting our town’s savings. If 297 signatures are gathered by Aug. 12, voters will have the opportunity to decide this matter in the October municipal election.
A Haines voter initiative in 2024 that increased the senior property tax exemption from $150,000 required by the State of Alaska to $300,000 has proved excessive and harmful to services and functions we depend on.
The annual cost to the Haines Borough of the expanded exemption ($270,000) almost identically matches the $300,000 in savings used by the assembly in May to balance its bare-bones budget for the coming fiscal year. That budget contains no money for nonprofit grants and not enough to cover the peeling paint on our firehall and police station. It maintains a level of school funding reliant on hiring teachers from overseas.
For taxes to be fair and sufficient to fund our town, all citizens must pay a reasonable share. If this measure passes, seniors will still enjoy a $200,000 property tax exemption, a generous reduction on their property tax bills, and the Haines Borough will be able to pay its bills while maintaining enough in savings to cover emergencies. Please sign the petition and support this effort. It’s about equitable taxation and functional government. Thank you.
Tom Morphet