On this edition of Lynn Canal Voice, we talk about the Haines Borough ballot initiative that will ask voters whether we should raise the senior and disabled veteran property tax exemption from the state mandated $150,000 to $300,000.
Resident Leigh Horner organized the effort, and she argues the increase will help those who are facing extreme fiscal challenges and who are living on an income that has not kept up with inflation. Resident Lee Robinson is opposed to the increase. He opposes the initiative for various reasons including that now is a bad time for the borough to lose out on revenues.
Here’s some relevant facts as we consider the issue. Haines Borough finance director Jila Stuart said that if the $300,000 dollar exemption were in place in 2024, it would have cost the borough an additional $296,000 dollars, bringing the total amount revenue the borough would not have received in property taxes to $719,000. That is roughly 18% of the total property tax revenue for the borough.
Another relevant figure is that the numbers of people eligible for the exemption is increasing as baby boomers retire. In 2024 there were 311 qualified seniors and vets. That was a record high, according to the finance director, and is 17% higher than five years ago, in 2020.
Now, everyone agrees there’s a need to assist those who are finding more and more unaffordable to live here. But is it the government’s job to help? Are there unconsidered tradeoffs to the exemption increase? Will young families be disproportionately affected, forced to pay more in property taxes to make up for the loss that will only increase as our population ages? Or will services like the public pool, Chilkat Center or library take the hit? Are those tradeoffs worth it to help elders and disabled vets who can barely afford their groceries? We talk about these questions and more during this edition of Lynn Canal Voice.
