For the 2020 Tax Year Personal Property accounts totaling less than $20,000 in declared asset value will be placed upon a four-year filing cycle. If your business is selected for this cyclical billing feature requiring filing only every four years, you will NOT be sent a courtesy mailing of your Business Personal Property Assessment Declaration Statement for 2020.
All other accounts will still be required to file on an annual basis, subject to the non-filing fee for non-timely filing. A courtesy copy of your assets currently on file will be mailed on December 15th, 2019. Simply update this declaration with new assets purchase during the year, and remove any assets that are no longer in use by your company. If you have any questions as to the filing status of your account, please contact the Assessing Office at the contact information below.
You may file early if you wish by contacting the Assessing Office. Types of property which must be listed, include, but are not limited to: construction equipment, machinery, tools, office equipment, furniture, fixtures, leased goods, aircraft, and rental furnishings.
If you would like to receive assessing notices or updates electronically you may submit your e-mail to: assessing@cityofsitka.org. If you have not received a declaration form, you may obtain one by calling the Assessor’s Office at 747-1822.
Business property declarations will be due by 4:45 p.m. February 17, 2020.
Failure to file is a misdemeanor, per Alaska State Statute 29.45.140.
Taxable property located within the borough has been valued and assessment notices were mailed March 15th. The taxbase marginally increased to $1.10 B, an increase of $4.2M (0.4%) this year which breaks out to a net increase in real property value of $9.5M (0.1%), offset by a decrease of $5.3M (-9.2%) in personal property.
This year’s valuation numbers indicate a significant slowing in the real property gains due to non-market factors such as limited staffing resources in 2018, a larger than normal increase in senior exemptions, and challenges with CAMA software issues. These factors, when combined with a larger than normal decrease in personal property, made any gains in the overall assessed valuation minimal and not necessarily reflective of observed market increases.
The real estate market overall was observed to have increased by an estimated 5%-10% during 2018, and this observation is supported by the 12% increase in the average single-family residential sale price from $378,400 in 2018, to $425,100. Sales volume also increased from 91 sales in 2018 to 125 sales in 2018, a 37% increase. Real property sales during 2018 were strong, particularly in homes priced below $500,000.
The most significant factor offsetting real property assessed value gains this year was the loss of one-third of the department’s staff for one-fourth of the year; staffing turnover affected the total output achievable by a substantial amount. In addition, the number of qualified Senior-Citizen and Disabled-Veteran Exemption applicants increased substantially over the prior year. Significant software issues related to the new MARS CAMA system, were also a significant impact on the department’s achievable output. Equally offsetting was a larger than normal decrease in personal property values. Decreases in personal property happen from time to time when large construction projects in the economy end, such as after the construction of Blue Lake was completed and equipment was significantly removed from the borough, or when market commerce and general activity drops overall. Last year’s drop in personal property valuation levels is most likely indicative of some market downturn in business activity.
Real property gains did include an estimated $8.5M in overall private sector new construction, which breaks down into a $2.6M increase in commercial and a $4.6M increase in residential value. Marijuana cultivation new construction was the driving force in 2018, but in 2018 marijuana cultivation tenant improvements were more of the norm. Therefore, there were no large gains in commercial new construction this past year.
The average residential value increase for this revaluation year was $38,700 per property, which amounts to about 9% of market value on the single-family average sales price of $425,100. The primary reason for this year’s increase in value is due to the fact that most of the properties being revalued have not changed value since 2003 when the last area wide revaluation took place.
The full Assessment Revaluation Report 2019 can be viewed here
The City and Borough of Sitka hereby announces that the 2019 Property Assessments have been completed and mailed March 15, 2019. Every owner of real or personal business property should receive an assessment notice indicating the 2019 values. It is the duty of every person owning property in the City & Borough of Sitka to advise the Assessor of any errors or omissions observed in the assessment of the property.
The property owner has thirty (30) days from the mailing of notices in which to appeal the 2018 values to the Assessor. If relief from an alleged error in valuation is not adjusted by the Assessor to the taxpayer’s satisfaction, the appellant may appeal to the Board of Equalization.
The Board of Equalization will meet at the Harrigan Centennial Hall at 6:00 p.m. May 6, 2018. Appeals to the Board must be filed directly and in writing to the Assessor no later than 4:00 p.m. Monday April 16, 2018.
Forms for appeal to the Board of Equalization are available at www.cityofsitka.com on the assessing department page, under forms, or from the Assessor at 100 Lincoln Street, room 108.
State and local law require real and personal property to be regularly inspected for annual taxation purposes. In order to meet this mandate and revalue over 4,800 properties annually the Assessing Department divides the borough into six sections for reinspection each year.
The Assessing Department strives to clearly communicate the current area of inspection and duties while there. The department inspects properties year-round with a goal of inspecting at least 700 properties each year. Please note, Alaska Statute 29.45.130 grants the department legal authority to inspect real and personal property for taxation purposes, within reasonable times throughout the day. As a practice we will be inspecting properties generally from 9:00am to 5:00pm daily Monday through Friday. Please ask for this letter of introduction if you encounter our appraisers on your property; it outlines the authority to inspect and identifies the appraiser for your security.
Our standard protocol is to notify the area of inspection through public website announcements, conduct an initial knock on the door when onsite, and then proceed with an inspection unless asked to leave. If asked to leave the property, the appraiser will value the property to the best of their ability from the street; any inaccuracies as a result are the responsibility of the owner to correct during the informal appeal period of March 15th to April 15th. If you have questions or concerns about Assessing staff being on your property, please contact this office to discuss.
This year’s area of reinspection is generally the south-end of the city properties.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Assessing process
The Assessing department is responsible for assessing the value of all properties within the City and Borough of Sitka boundaries; and administers all State and Borough exemptions as set forth in State Statutes and Borough Code. The department also maintains property record information, which includes ownership, address, assessed value, and legal property descriptions.
Provide up-to-date information about assessment and related property matters, a service grown in importance to the community over the years.
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday (excluding holidays)
City & Borough of Sitka
Assessing Department
100 Lincoln St, Room 108
Sitka, AK 99835
Department e-mail address: assessing@cityofsitka.org
Larry Reeder - Assessing Director
(907) 747-1820
larry.reeder@cityofsitka.org
Kasi L. Heim - Appraiser
(907) 747-1822
kasi.heim@cityofsitka.org
