Four lawsuits filed over property tax assessments

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Thursday, December 2nd, 2021 1:23pm

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Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - A number of property owners, who have appealed to the city after what they deemed to be a dramatic increase in property taxes, have went to court.

The increase amounted to about 50% in base land value as part of this year's citywide assessment.

During the Juneau assembly's finance meeting this week, Finance director Jeff Rodgers provided the body an update on the appeals to the Board of Equalization.

"So, we have received now four appeals of the BOE decisions to Superior Court. So, the BOE is obviously a check on the assessor and the Superior Court is a check on the BOE so we have a number of appellants that are dissatisfied with the BOE decision, and they have advanced their case to Superior Court."

Rodgers said said the Board of Equalization has not yet found in favor of an appellant.

"I think we've had appellants make some really good arguments and get close to moving the BOE, but the law is very specific that the burden of proof is on the appellant to prove that the assessor has made an error, and it's been challenging for appellants to do that."

There were 210 total commercial parcel appeals, 130 have been closed and 80 are still open.

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