Residents want out of service tax

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough mayor’s brother wants out of his local road service area but Ray DeVilbiss says he doesn’t think he’ll get there without a fight.

DeVilbiss lives on a state road on Lazy Mountain. He says the law allows for a person who accesses his property from a state road to file for and receive an exemption from road service taxes.

Road service areas and fire service areas are separate from the overall borough property tax regime. Residents pay into a fund and the money stays in their area.

DeVilbiss said that 30 years ago the borough expanded road service areas to encompass nearly every single homeowner. It’s something he’s been researching for awhile, he said.

“It appears like this is the only borough that by administrative ordinance just drew a line around everybody and said, ‘well, you’re in the road service area,’” DeVilbiss said.

Until recently it really wasn’t a big deal. Compared to a 10-mill borough tax, RSA taxes were only one or two mills. A mill is equal to $1 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value. Which wasn’t a lot of money.

“Well, am I going to go fight city hall for $45? You just chalk it up to charity,” DeVilbiss said.

But as the years passed, taxes went up and so did property tax assessments. So both sides of the formula increased — the home was deemed to be worth more and was taxed at a higher rate.

“This last year it cost me $1,000. I just thought, ‘this has got to stop.’”

On the other side, the board put together to advise the local RSA boards — some refer to it as the Big Board, but its official name is the Local Road Service Area Advisory Board — has come out opposed to DeVilbiss’ request.

That board argues in a resolution passed by unanimous vote April 21 that letting property owners out of the RSA is unjustified. DeVilbiss and others may not access their property through borough roads but they still drive on borough roads.

The resolution also argues that letting property owners opt out would adversely affect the property owners left behind.

And, finally, the board said, RSA funding is the same as property taxes that support schools and emergency services; it goes to pay for a community-wide service.

DeVilbiss disagrees. Yes, he conceded, sometimes he does drive on borough roads. But state law plainly states who is to be included in the RSA, and who can be excluded depends on what road they use to access their property.

As for the second contention, that the RSA will be adversely affected, DeVilbiss said that right now the RSA is taking in more than its share and is spending it on things he doesn’t think it should be. RSA money, he said, should go to upkeep. But RSAs routinely use the money to pave roads. Road paving, he said, should be paid for by people who live on that particular road, not everybody in the area.

And finally, about the community-wide services contention, DeVilbiss said that’s just plain wrong. The money stays with local boards and is spent locally.

A resolution seeking to let DeVilbiss and a few of his neighbors secede from the RSA is set for discussion at tonight’s borough assembly meeting.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.