Anchorage Board Grows, Speeding Property Tax Appeals

0:00A record number of Anchorage homeowners are challenging their property tax assessments this year, leading to a big backlog of cases. Nearly 2,000 appeals have been filed, about 10 times more than just a few years back. On Tuesday, the Anchorage Assembly stepped in by appointing 12 new volunteers to the board of equalization, the group that reviews these disputes. For the first time, all 21 seats on the board are now filled. The surge in appeals comes after the city updated how it values properties. State law pushed this change to match national standards, so assessors now factor in sale prices from a wider pool of nearby homes. This approach aims to pin down market values more accurately using extra data. Local leaders see it as a sign the system is working. Board Chair Ian Moore says the extra members will speed things up, avoiding delays that could have stretched into November without them. That Gatamus, who handles assessments for the city, welcomes the feedback from residents raising ballot concerns.

1:01New board members will get training over the next few weeks and should start tackling cases by mid-Abral. That means faster resolutions ahead for everyone waiting on decisions. With these steps in place, Anchorage property owners can expect quicker answers on their tax appeals as the board ramps up. Anchorage News. Stay powered by AI Bringing You What Matters.