January 28, 2007
Sunday PM

I have not used the Airporter, I travel as light as possible when I leave town, and Alaska Airlines usually loses my bag when I get back. But this property tax is a kick in the butt and i will tell you why.

Last year I had my house appraised. I had to refinance to a lower interest rate. The value that T had gotten by a very respected local appraiser was $225,000 but now one year later it's appraised by the Ketchikan Borough for $275,000 -- and he just looked at it from my drive way. You figure that out. According to the borough tax guy, the professionals don't know anything.

Once I get going on this I can not stop until I dig this out too. Fire rating are supposed to lower your insurance. Well, a few years back we got hooked up to Mountain Point water. I have a fire hydrant less than two hundred feet from my home, but my insurance only increased.

Who else are you North Tongass residents going to call? South Tongass?

Did the appraiser take into account that just about everyone's home on the north end is flooded with septic waste? At least the ones from the downhill side of their neighbors. Is the borough going to use your over-taxation to put in sewer lines and treatment plants so they can also charge you another $40 a month?

I laughed when the city people complained when their water bill went up to $29. On the south end we pay $38 and $40 for sewer. But at least that's better than your kids playing in ditches full of sewer!

I am not happy about the way we are treated.

Robert McRoberts
Ketchikan, AK

Received January 27, 2007 - Published January 28, 2006

About: Local resident and business owner.

 

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