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Legislative committee asks state to let municipalities set volunteer firefighter property‑tax exemption
Summary
The borough's legislative committee reviewed Resolution 2026‑0005 requesting that the Alaska Legislature allow municipalities to set the maximum amount for the volunteer firefighter EMS optional real property tax exemption, arguing the current $10,000 state‑mandated exemption yields only about $100 in local benefit.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s legislative committee on Jan. 20 considered Resolution 2026‑0005 asking the Alaska Legislature to return authority to municipalities to set the maximum amount for the volunteer firefighter EMS optional real‑property tax exemption.
Vice Chair Greebel, reporting from the committee, said the current state‑mandated $10,000 exemption translates to roughly $100 per year in local benefit for many volunteers and does not adequately offset out‑of‑pocket expenses that volunteers incur. “We’re looking to make it more attractive,” Greebel said, describing the resolution as a request that the state change its rules to allow municipalities discretion to increase the exemption.
Greebel said the resolution does not change local code directly; it asks the state to grant municipal authority to set a higher not‑to‑exceed figure. The measure was placed on the consent agenda for the assembly, and committee discussion was described as brief.
If enacted at the state level, municipal control over the exempted amount would allow the borough to tailor relief to local costs, supporters told the committee. No final vote on a borough ordinance was taken at the Jan. 20 assembly meeting; the resolution itself was on the consent agenda.
