Viewpoints
Increased Property Taxes
By Michael Spence
January 23, 2007
Tuesday
No one should be terribly surprised with the recent increase
in Ketchikan Borough property taxes.
After all, it comes after several years of big spending by the
Borough using federal transportation and relief money to buy
roads on Gravina and subsidize certain for-profit industries.
Now that the federal dollars may appear not to be flowing as
easily as they once did, guess whose deep pockets will pay now?
It may not be a pretty picture for taxpayers, but it was predictable.
And it isn't over yet! The spending spree is still full swing,
as we embark yet another year of the 'Quest For The Holy Bridge'.
Even if the bridge is never built, the borough taxpayers will
still be paying for the add-ons that were created before it was
built. If it is built, God help us, but plan on more tax increases
to pay for its maintenance and administration.
Increased property valuations are a convenient rationale to raise
taxes. Rest assured, in the unlikely event the valuations go
down, the mill rate will go up.
Michael Spence
Ketchikan, AK
Received January 23, 2007 - Published January 23, 2007
About: "A borough property
tax payer"
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
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