The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly voted on Jan. 20 to ask the State Legislature to allow municipalities to increase the optional property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services providers. The current exemption is capped at $10,000 of assessed value, which saves providers less than $100 in property taxes annually.
Assembly member Dale Eicher, who represents District 5 and sponsored Resolution 2026-005, said during a Jan. 20 legislative committee meeting that he would drive roughly 45 minutes from Sterling to Kasilof at least once per week when he was a volunteer firefighter. During training, he said he would make the journey two or three times weekly.
“The $10,000 exemption for property taxes is nice, but it seems to pale in comparison to the sacrifices that these upstanding citizens are contributing to our community,” Eicher said.
Legislative action is required to increase the tax exemption cap, and assembly members voted unanimously to ask the legislature to increase the exemption to “an amount deemed appropriate” by the Kenai Peninsula Borough and other municipalities. Eicher wrote in a memorandum to other assembly members that the optional exemption ensures the borough’s ability to have “a robust volunteer crew.”
The assembly sent the resolution to Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, Rep. Bill Elam, R-Nikiski, Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna and Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer. It asks the legislators to review and amend Alaska Statutes Title 29, which was first enacted in 2011. The amendment would also add language allowing no more than two exemptions if multiple certified or licensed individuals were eligible for exemptions on the same property.
“The availability of skilled volunteer firefighters/EMS providers are vital to maintain high levels of services within our service areas without high costs,” the memo reads. It goes on to argue that the $10,000 exemption cap “provides little practical incentive and does not meaningfully offset the time, training requirements, or out-of-pocket expenses incurred by volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel.”
Borough Mayor Peter Micciche said increasing the exemption cap would result in a “minuscule hit” to the borough’s budget.
