HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESOLUTION 2000-63Suggested by: Mayor Williams
CITY OF KENAI
RESOLUTION NO. 2000-63
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, OPPOSING ANY
NEW STATEWIDE-IMPOSED TAX CAP.
WHEREAS, if passed, Ballot Measure No. 4 would primarily limit local mill rates by
state law to ten mills, including future bond debt, except for cities in boroughs where
the limit would be 20 mills; and,
WHEREAS, even though Kenai currently has only a 3.5 mill rate, passage of Ballot
Measure No. 4 would ensure that residents and businesses with property of equal
value would pay different amounts of tax and Kenai's ability to bond, with voter
approval, for future projects and improvements could be restricted; and,
WHEREAS, if passed, Ballot Measure No. 4 would limit increases in assessed value of
individual properties to no more than two percent per year, despite actual market value
increases, unless the property is sold or newly constructed and not allow a provision to
reduce assessed values if property values decline or even if a property is destroyed;
and,
WHEREAS, the proposed statewide initiative would permanently remove the power of
local voters in Kenai to determine the appropriate amount of local revenues to pay for
schools, police, and other critical local services; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Kenai feels that if a tax cap, under Ballot Measure No. 4, is
initiated statewide, the Legislature will be called upon to fill the shortfall in revenues of
those communities most affected and the loss of this revenue in the statewide pool
could and would affect cities such as Kenai through loss of revenue in other areas;
and,
WHEREAS, a municipality should be able to set their own mill rate; and,
WHEREAS, the tax cap loss would be as much as 33% of Alaska's total property tax
revenue ($451 million in 1999) collected from citizens and businesses (not including oil
and gas property); and,
WHEREAS, schools are, by far, the largest local service funded by property taxes and if
the large municipal school districts are thrown into financial crises, the REAA's and
smaller school districts will almost certainly see additional reductions in state
education funding.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI,
ALASKA, that it opposes any new statewide-imposed tax cap because it would remove
the power of local voters to determine local tax policy; would cripple schools and other
key local services; would effectively halt school and other bond construction in most of
the state; and would create an inequitable system of taxation.
2000. ~
,~M~yo~ ~
oo~ber
Duane Bann~~k~ Council Member
~er, Cou~n ~'/~cil~M~ber
PASSED BY THE CO~UNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, this 19th day of October,
(~s C. Bool~
, Vice M..~r
C. Bookey, III~'~ouncil Mer~e~'
Pat Porter, Council Member
ATTEST:
Carol L. Freas, ~ity Clerk