Assembly to consider residential utility exemption for Talkeetna sales tax

At its budget meeting in Willow, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly will hold a public hearing on an ordinance to exempt residential utilities from the Talkeetna Sewer and Water Service Area sales tax.

The three-percent sales tax was approved by voters living within the service area, and went into effect last year.  Its purpose is to provide additional revenue beyond water and sewer bills to operate, maintain, and improve the system.  At a recent open-house, borough staff and contracted engineers laid out the plans for improving Talkeetna’s sewer lagoon, which has seen years of compliance issues with state regulations.

If the ordinance is passed, residential electric, heating oil, propane, and sewer and water bills would be exempt from the tax.

Assembly Member Tam Boeve (BO-vee) introduced the ordinance, and set the public hearing for the Assembly’s annual budget hearing in Willow.  This year, that hearing will be held on May 2^nd at the Willow Community Center.