City of Wrangell recently issued the following announcement.
CITY AND BOROUGH OF WRANGELL, ALASKA
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the 2022 Assessment Rolls for the City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska, as of January 1, 2022, have been completed. The Borough Assembly shall sit as a Board of Equalization on Monday, May 9, 2022, 5:30 p.m., Wrangell Assembly Chambers & By Zoom Teleconference, and continue each day thereafter until its scheduled business is completed.
NOTICE OF APPEAL (with respect to any alleged error in the valuation, overcharge, or omission of the assessor) shall be filed with the Board of Equalization within thirty (30) days after the date on which the assessor’s Notice of Assessment was given to the person appealing. The Notice of Appeal shall be in writing, on the designated form, specifying the grounds for appeal.
Appeal Forms are available at City Hall or online at www.wrangell.com (under Forms and Applications).
IT IS THE TAXPAYER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY THE CITY AND BOROUGH OF WRANGELL OF:
1. Properties not included in assessment notices
2. Change of ownership of property not shown on assessment notices
NOTICE OF APPEALS MUST BE FILED ON OR BEFORE APRIL 18, 2022 in person at City Hall or emailed to cmiller@wrangell.com
Wrangell Municipal Code 5.04 - Property Taxes
There shall be assessed, levied and collected a general tax for school and municipal purposes upon all real property. The levies for school and municipal purposes shall not be separately made and fixed, and the aggregate levy shall not exceed three percent of the assessed value of the real property assessed.
Please visit www.codepublishing.com/AK/Wrangell for the complete and updated Wrangell Municipal Code, Title 5, Chapter 5.04 - Property Tax.
FAQs:
When are my property taxes due?
Property taxes are due once a year by October 15th of each year. If October 15th falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, taxes will be due by the following Monday.
How is the value of my property determined?
Your property, including the land and improvements, is assessed as of January 1st of each year. The City and Borough of Wrangell uses a contract assessment company to determine the value that is sent to you on your assessment notice.
When will I receive my Assessment Notice?
Assessment Notices are mailed out no later than March 20th of each year per Wrangell Municipal Code (WMC) 5.04.130.
What if I disagree with the Assessment Value?
You can appeal your assessment within 30 days of the Assessment Notice by obtaining an appeal form and returning it to City Hall with a written request. The assessor will contact you to resolve the appeal before the Board of Equalization meets.
Can I get a senior exemption since I'm a senior citizen? What about if I am a disabled veteran?
The state allows for a senior citizen exemption of up to $150,000 of the assessed value of your home. You must be 65 years old prior to January 1st of the tax year (or a widow/er of a senior citizen. The widow/er must be at least 60 years old as of January 1st of the tax year). You can obtain the application from City Hall or online below. Complete the application and return it with a copy of your driver's license, passport, or birth certificate after your 65th birthday, but by March 1st to be eligible. Once you have received the exemption initially, you are NOT required to re-apply each subsequent year unless your situation changes. If your spouse received the exemption and they have passed away, you must re-apply for the exemption in your name.
The state also allows for the same exemption for a disabled veteran. Along with the application, proof of the disability rating must be provided. A widow/er of a disabled veteran can apply under the same requirements as above.
What if I miss the March 1st deadline?
The Assembly, for good cause shown, may accept a late application and authorize the Finance Director to accept the application as if timely filed. To be considered by the Assembly, a request must be in writing and filed with City Hall (contact Aleisha Mollen) no later than April 15th of the assessment year for which the exemption is sought. This is no guarantee that an exception will be made.
What other requirements have to be met for the senior citizen/disabled veteran exemption?
Both of these exemptions require the applicant to meet the same residency requirements used by the Permanent Fund application. The City & Borough of Wrangell will be checking the PFD database to verify that each applicant has applied and met those residency requirements. If you did not apply for a PFD, you will be contacted annually to certify that you meet those residency requirements in order to receive your senior exemption.
Also, if your property is used for rental or commercial purposes, that must be noted on the application. The amount of your exemption would be reduced by the percentage used for these purposes.
How is the tax calculated on my tax bill?
The Assessed Value of your property is multiplied by the mill rate set by the Borough Assembly each year as part of the budget process. Currently, the mill rate is 12.75 for the Wrangell Service Area, and 4 for Outside the Service Area and the Differential Tax Zone. Divide the mill rate by 1000 and multiply it by your net Assessed Value to get your tax amount.
I received a Tax Bill, but my taxes are paid through my mortgage's escrow account. Why did I get a bill?
Per WMC 5.04.340, the Finance Director shall then prepare and mail tax statements to the person listed as the owner on the tax rolls prior to July 1st of each year. Your mortgage company may still pay the bill by escrow, but you would want to make sure this happens as the owner is ultimately responsible.
What are my taxes used for?
Each year, the graph showing the breakdown of where your taxes go is printed on the back of the tax bills. For 2018, the Differential Zones and Outside of the Service Area went 100% to Education. For the Service Area, it is as follows:
Public Safety - 51%
Administration and Finance - 23%
Public Works - 15%
Community Services - 8%
Education - 3%
What happens if my tax bill is not paid on time?
A 10% one-time penalty is assessed for payments received in person or postmarked after the 15th.
Beginning one month after the due date, interest of 1% of the tax balance will be added each month, until it is paid in full.
Partial payments will be applied to penalty and interest first, before the tax balance.
Supporting Documents
PDF icon Senior Citizen-Disabled Veteran Exemption Form (130 KB)
PDF icon ASSESSMENT APEAL FORM (131 KB)
Original source can be found here.
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