Kodiak Island Borough, KANA staff travel to six villages to help elders and disabled veterans file property tax-exemption paperwork
Loading...
Summary
Borough assessor staff and Kodiak Area Native Association elder services visited six remote villages in November to assist seniors and disabled veterans with confidential property tax-exemption applications; assessing staff said FY26 budget includes remote travel for one employee to continue the service.
The Kodiak Island Borough Assessor's Office and Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA) elder services traveled to six remote villages in November to assist seniors and disabled veterans in filing confidential real property tax-exemption applications, assessor Seema Groot told the assembly on Feb. 27.
Groot said the teams visited Akiak, Karluk, Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Uyak (referred to as "Inky" in the presentation), and Port Lions and that staff returned with a high rate of completed applications: in five villages they retrieved more than 60% of expected applications and in three villages more than 80%.
The outreach aimed to overcome confidentiality barriers that prevented remote elders from receiving help by phone or mail; assessors concluded that in-person visits were necessary to identify and assist eligible residents. Cassie Keplinger, elder services director at KANA, described the Title VI–funded elder services program and the local partnerships (tribes, village clinics and city officials) that arranged transportation and home visits for elders who could not reach event sites.
Why this matters: real property tax exemptions for seniors and disabled veterans are confidential and time‑sensitive. Groot said the assessor's office will continue outreach in FY26; the assessing office's proposed FY26 budget includes travel funding for one staff member to visit remote villages to support seniors and disabled veterans in applying for exemptions.
Assembly members thanked staff and KANA for the effort. Assemblymember Ryan asked whether the returned applications could be separated by seniors versus veterans; Groot said nearly all were seniors and that only one disabled veteran living in a remote village had been identified during the visits. Councilmembers discussed potential additional veteran-focused funding sources through the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Staff and presenters asked assembly members to note that much of the outreach relied on village partners to publicize events, provide meeting space and coordinate rides for homebound elders. Groot said staff also helped some residents with probate filing information where needed. Groot, Keplinger and KANA elder services coordinator Penny Bochet told the assembly they were invited to present at the borough's rural forum on March 26 because of the outreach's favorable reception.
The assembly did not take a formal vote on any motion during the presentation; Groot said the FY26 travel item is part of the assessor's budget submission for consideration during the borough budget process.
