Anchorage would give tax-exempt property owners 90 days to recertify instead of March 15

Owners of tax-exempt Anchorage property would no longer face a single March 15 deadline to certify they still qualify under an ordinance from Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. They would instead have 90 days to respond whenever the municipal assessor asks.

The Anchorage Assembly has a public hearing on the ordinance set for Nov. 4.

The administration says many owners file on or near March 15, creating a rush of work during a busy part of the assessment cycle. Owners who miss the new window could still file a new exemption application by March 15.

The change comes as the city works through about 570 flagged exemptions. Most were flagged for incomplete or outdated paperwork, not for how the property is used, according to a July report from the city's Property Appraisal Division. The division estimates about $52.1 million in exempt value may be taxable, or about $811,000 in taxes, 0.12% of the 2026 levy.

So far, the reviews have removed few exemptions. Of about 60 high-priority accounts reviewed this year, one property was removed because it no longer qualified and another because its owner missed the certification deadline.

The division puts about 55% of one full-time position toward the reviews and has said it could finish around 2030 with the deadline change and more staff, Alaska News reported in July.

Hospitals would still have to recertify every year. Other exempt owners would recertify when the assessor asks, and must report any change in ownership or use within 30 days. If adopted, the ordinance would take effect March 16, 2027.