Alaska Voters Go to Polls to Limit Taxes.

• Position: Brief Article

Influenced by the success of California's Proposition 13, a coalition of Alaska voters has placed an initiative on the fall ballot aimed at capping property taxes in the state. If passed, the initiative would limit local property taxes to 1 percent of assessed valuation and cap property value assessment increases at 2 percent a year. The move could mean immediate budget gaps for cities like Anchorage, which currently taxes at about 1.8 percent. The state assessor estimates a property tax revenue loss between $125 and $150 million--a third of the state's current property tax revenue. Opponents of the initiative argue that since its passage in 1978, California's Proposition 13 has...