Sec. 29.45.053. Exemption for certain residences of law enforcement officers.

391 words·~2 min read·/ak/title-29/chapter-45/29-45-053

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)A municipality may, by ordinance, provide for the designation of areas within its boundaries that are eligible for tax exemptions on parcels of residential property. The amount of the tax exemption provided in the ordinance may not exceed $150,000 of the assessed value of a parcel. The exemption may be granted for a parcel only if it is

(1)entirely within an eligible area;

(2)primarily used for residential purposes; and

(3)owned and occupied as the primary place of abode by a law enforcement officer.

(b)Only one exemption may be granted for the same parcel under an ordinance adopted under

(a)of this section, and, if two or more individuals are eligible for an exemption for the same parcel, the individuals shall decide between or among themselves who is to receive the benefit of the exemption.

(c)The municipality that adopts the ordinance under

(a)of this section may not request state funds to cover any loss of revenue to the municipality caused by the ordinance.

(d)The ordinance adopted under

(a)of this section must define “law enforcement officer” to include only some or all positions listed in the definition of “peace officer” in AS 01.10.060 or in the definition of “police officer” in AS 18.65.290 . The ordinance may include other eligibility requirements for an area; however, an eligible area must

(1)meet the eligibility requirements under a federal program of special assistance for urban development, neighborhood revitalization, or law enforcement, without regard to whether an application for the federal assistance on behalf of the area has been made or whether the area has received or is receiving the federal assistance;

(2)have a statistically higher occurrence of crime than the municipality as a whole; the crime rate for an eligible area must be established in the ordinance; or

(3)meet the requirements of

(1)and

(2)of this subsection.

(e)The municipality may establish a specific area as an eligible area for purposes of this section only in the ordinance adopted under

(a)of this section or by adopting a separate ordinance. The municipality is not required to establish as an eligible area for purposes of this section every area that meets the requirements of the ordinance that is adopted under

(a)of this section.