The growing revolt against onerous property taxes has spread north to Alaska, with Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance ordering a review of property tax assessments following a wave of complaints from homeowners about “unusually” high value increases.
The Anchorage Daily News reports the city’s Property Appraisal Division has fielded a higher than usual volume of calls following changes to its property tax assessment process that resulted many homes being assessed at considerably higher levels.
The city is now planning to issue revised assessments for roughly 660 homes across four Anchorage neighborhoods.
While the 4% year-over-year overall estimated value of single-family homes in Anchorage is smaller compared to increases during 2023 and 2024, approximately 10% of assessed residential properties saw significant spikes in their assessment, with some experiencing value increases as high as 40%.
Municipal Manager Becky Windt Pearson told the Anchorage Assembly that the new assessments are being crafted to “ensure these properties reflect fair market value.”
My property in Bird Creek went up in assessed value by $342,000; a 54% increase. My neighbors went up $614,000, a 74% increase. Many other properties in this community went up 30%, 40% and 50% – none of our properties have had any improvements made to them, and the assessed values last year were high to begin with.
A check of lakefront properties on Campbell Lake showed that almost ALL of them went DOWN in assessed value by double, and triple digit dollar amounts. The same was true for other lakefront properties on Sand Lake, Jewel Lake and Sundi Lake. Why are wealthy homeowners experiencing decreased assessments, while working-class and retired homeowners in rural communities are experiencing dramatic INCREASES in assessed value, as much as $614,000 in one case?