Tax exemption cost should be borne by state

As the days pass and the opening of the 25th Legislature approaches, legislators are already at work establishing an agenda for the coming weeks. Many bills have been prefiled. Some are back from last year. Others are new for this year.

Typical of the flow of proposed legislation in any given session, some address high-profile issues, while others are more along the lines of &#8220specialty” bills. Among the more worthy of the early crop of proposals is one by Valley Rep. Vic Kohring.

The veteran lawmaker is preparing for his seventh term by, among other things, prefiling a bill of his own that addresses a festering need. Kohring's proposal is to raise the value of the property tax exemption for seniors and disabled vets from the current $150,000 to $250,000.

Considering the original exemption was put in place in 1985 and property values - and taxes - have surged in recent years, the increase in the amount exempted is a no-brainer. Most who qualify for it have certainly earned it.

Seniors who spent their working years here as productive contributing members of the community deserve a break now that they are on fixed incomes. And no one, it seems, should dispute that the service provided by disabled veterans is worthy of property-tax exemption.

Sadly, it's not simply a matter of merit. There's also the loss-of-revenue part of the equation, and we are concerned with how the state might address this loss to already cash-strapped communities and their overburdened taxpayers.

In recent years, taxpayers have watched their own revenue erode as escalating property values have driven taxes higher. Factor in declining state assistance to communities and the occasional &#8220unfunded mandate,” and it's gotten downright ugly for some regular working folks and their families.

The last thing taxpayers need is another unfunded mandate.

We are solidly behind the spirit of this bill. But it needs to come with a guarantee to communities that the revenue shortfall will not be heaped on the bent backs of taxpayers.

Rep. Kohring has made a name for himself protecting his constituents from the sometimes overreaching arms of government. We applaud his effort to ensure that Alaska's seniors and disabled veterans might be spared the lifestyle hit that comes with rising property taxes on fixed incomes.

We just hope that it doesn't end up spelling additional burden for the rest of the state's taxpayers.