Wrangell’s borough assembly will consider decreasing the amount of tax-free days to one per year at a public meeting Tuesday night. They’ll also consider accepting a $95,000 grant for 2020’s statewide salmon disaster.
The assembly will hold a public hearing on a proposal to change the combined fee and rates for the Public Works Department and the Harbor and Port. Annual launch permits with a stall would increase seven dollars -from $28 to $35 – and permits without a stall would increase $15 per year – from $55 to $70. The borough would also eliminate the commercial launch permit fee and create a new category for multiple trailer owners. Each trailer, after the initial one, would be five dollars each. The fee changes will become effective when approved.
Additionally, the borough is planning on decreasing the metered Seafood Processor rate by 80% since the plant uses mostly saltwater for processing.
The freshwater they use is discharged through the permitted outfall and is not collected and treated wastewater. The borough said they were overcharging for seafood processing because of this.
Salmon disaster relief funds
The assembly will also consider accepting a $95,127 grant from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission for salmon disaster relief funds. The funds are for the 2020 and 2021 statewide salmon disaster. The borough plans to accept the revenue for the Port and Harbor enterprise fund.
At its Tuesday meeting, the assembly will also take into consideration decreasing Wrangell’s tax-free days from two each year to one.
One reason the borough wants the change is that they found that unaudited sales tax for fiscal year 2024 had a 6.9% reduction from the previous year.
Borough officials said the decrease is related to a 2006 material sales tax lien on residents’ real property. Additionally, the reduction could also be due to a slowdown in consumer spending and a shortfall in cruise traffic. Because of this, the borough wants to protect a further drop in sales tax earnings.
Wrangell’s assembly meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the borough chambers in City Hall. The meeting will also be broadcast on KSTK: 101.7 FM and online at kstk.org. Find the meeting agenda at wrangell.com under the “Meetings” tab. Anyone wishing to speak at the meeting can sign up on the “Persons to be Heard” sheet at City Hall.
