In 2023, Haines residents uncovered actions they perceived as unjust methods for assessing private property. As these actions came to light at a local level, a more widespread problem emerged within Alaska’s municipal taxation statutes that are supposed to protect individuals’ rights and the public interest from bad actors.
Subsequently, Alaskans become alarmed. Sen. Jesse Kiehl recently announced that he will be introducing a bill to improve Alaska’s property tax assessment procedure. Kiehl stated that “when the government takes money, it needs transparent, fair processes to do it … Many Alaska municipalities already follow all the best practices I’m drafting into a bill. For them nothing will change. But for others, a few additional guardrails are in order.”
The senator’s announcement comes after months of public outcry, a citizen’s petition that resulted in the cancellation of the Haines assessor’s contract, the resignation of the state assessor, and the publication of a white paper on Restoring Public Trust in Alaska’s property tax assessment process.