Sitka City and Borough Property Tax Records

Sitka City and Borough property tax records are maintained by the Assessing Department at 100 Lincoln Street in Sitka, Alaska. The borough assesses approximately 4,100 real property accounts and 560 business personal property accounts each year. Property owners can search assessed values online using the Sitka GIS property search portal. For exemption applications, business personal property declarations, assessment appeals, or direct questions about a specific parcel, contact the Assessing Department during business hours. This guide covers how Sitka's unique fixed mill rate works, what exemptions are available, and how to use the tools at your disposal.

Search Sitka Property Tax Records Online

Sitka offers an online GIS property search portal that lets you look up assessed values, ownership information, and parcel data for any property within the borough. The tool is available through Axis GIS for Sitka, AK. You can search by address, parcel number, or owner name. The results show current assessed value, legal description, and other property characteristics useful for comparing values or checking your own record before the appeal window closes.

The Axis GIS portal is the fastest way to look up Sitka property tax records online without contacting the Assessing Department directly.

The GIS system provides a map-based interface where you can click on any parcel to see its data. This is particularly useful if you want to compare your property's assessed value with similar parcels nearby. Because Sitka assesses at about 90% of estimated full and true value on average, the GIS data reflects current market-based estimates rather than arbitrary figures. If your value seems out of line with neighboring parcels of similar size and type, that is worth noting before you decide whether to file an appeal.

Sitka Assessing Department

The Assessing Department is located at 100 Lincoln Street, Room 201, Sitka, AK 99835. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The department email is assessing@cityofsitka.org.

Larry Reeder serves as Assessing Director and can be reached at (907) 747-1820 or larry.reeder@cityofsitka.org. Kasi Kinslow is the borough Appraiser at (907) 747-1829. Chloe Cagle serves as Appraisal Technician. The department is small but active, responsible for valuing all property in a borough that stretches across a large geographic area of Southeast Alaska.

The department's primary responsibility is to administer a fair, uniform, and equitable assessment program. Staff locate and identify all taxable property within the borough, inventory quantity and quality characteristics, estimate market value for each parcel, calculate taxable values, notify owners of their assessed value, and prepare and certify the official assessment roll. The department also handles all exemption applications, appeal responses, and property record updates. Staff can tell you what method was used to value your property and what data influenced the result.

The City and Borough of Sitka website also has links to the Assessing Department, current forms, and other resources for property owners.

Sitka's Fixed 6.00 Mill Property Tax Rate

Sitka is unusual among Alaska municipalities because its property tax rate is fixed in the borough charter at 6.00 mills per $1,000 of assessed value. This rate cannot be changed by the assembly alone. Any change requires an affirmative vote by a majority of Sitka voters. That charter provision has kept the rate stable at exactly 6.00 mills every year from 2013 through at least 2022, with no variation. There are no overlapping rates in Sitka, meaning there is only one property tax rate applying to all taxable property in the borough.

At 6.00 mills, the math is straightforward. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $1,800 in annual property tax. A property at $500,000 owes $3,000. The rate applies to the assessed value, not the market price, and Sitka's average assessment runs around 90% of estimated full and true value. So a home that would sell for $350,000 might be assessed at around $315,000, producing a tax bill of about $1,890. That is not guaranteed, of course, since individual properties vary in how closely their assessed value tracks the market.

Sitka also levies a 6% sales tax on most transactions. Property owners pay both taxes, though they are separate obligations. The sales tax is not administered by the Assessing Department and is not part of the property tax records system.

The 30-mill cap imposed by Alaska law under AS 29.45.090 applies statewide, but Sitka operates well below it. The charter restriction is more binding than the statutory cap in this case, since the charter fixes the rate at a level far below the legal maximum. Only voters can push it higher.

How the Sitka Assessing Department Values Property

The Sitka Assessing Department divides the entire borough into six sections for reinspection purposes. Each year, one or more sections receive a thorough on-site review. The goal is to inspect at least 700 properties per year, which means most parcels are physically inspected within a reasonable cycle. The borough has about 4,800 total properties across all categories, so hitting 700 or more per year keeps the cycle moving steadily.

Inspections happen during the day, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Appraisers knock first before beginning the inspection. If you are home and ask the appraiser to leave, they will value the property from the street. If that exterior estimate contains errors because the appraiser could not see certain features, those errors are the owner's responsibility to correct. The informal appeal period runs March 15 through April 15 each year. That is the time to contact the department if you see a problem in your assessment before it becomes final.

State and borough law give the Assessing Department authority to inspect at reasonable times under AS 29.45.130. That same statute makes clear you can decline entry. The tradeoff is a value estimate based on exterior data only, which may or may not match reality.

On average, the department assesses Sitka property at about 90% of estimated full and true value. This figure comes from ratio study results, which compare assessed values to actual sales prices. A 90% level is within the acceptable range under most assessment standards. It means the assessment is a conservative estimate, slightly below what properties typically sell for. Under AS 29.45.110, the goal is 100%, but mass appraisal across thousands of properties naturally produces some variation.

Sitka Property Tax Exemptions

Several exemption programs reduce the Sitka property tax bill for qualifying owners. Mandatory exemptions under Alaska law include those for senior citizens aged 65 or older and disabled veterans with a 50% or higher service-connected disability rating. Both exemptions apply to the primary residence and cover up to $150,000 of assessed value. Applications must be filed annually with the Assessing Department. The department sends out Business Personal Property declaration reminders each December, but for senior and veteran exemptions, it is the owner's responsibility to apply on time each year.

Business personal property is subject to its own rules in Sitka. All business equipment, furniture, machinery, and other personal property used in trade or commerce must be declared annually. The declaration is due by February 18 of each year (the 2025 deadline was February 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM). The form must be received or postmarked by that date. Late filers face a $100 late fee under City Code 4.35.055. Businesses that file on time can claim a $25,000 exemption on their business personal property under AS 29.45.050. That benefit is only available if you file by the deadline. The declaration form is available in Excel and Adobe PDF formats. Submit by mail to the Assessing Office at 100 Lincoln St., Sitka, AK 99835, or email to assessing@cityofsitka.org with delivery confirmation requested.

Optional exemptions available in Sitka depend on what the borough assembly has adopted. The Assessing Department can confirm which optional programs are currently active. Common examples under AS 29.45.050 include personal property exemptions for certain categories and the $75,000 homestead exemption on a primary residence.

Note: Exemption applications must be refiled every year. A prior approval does not carry over automatically. Contact the Assessing Department in December or January to confirm your status and get current forms.

Sitka Assessing Department Forms and Downloads

The Assessing Department offers a range of downloadable forms for property owners. These include the Business Personal Property Form in both Excel and Adobe PDF formats, the Appeal Form, the Appeal Withdrawal Form, the Change of Address Form, the Mobile Home Change in Ownership Form, the Senior Citizen Exemption Form, the Senior Citizen Supplemental Form, the Veteran Exempt Form, and the Non-Profit Property Tax Exemption Form. An FAQ brochure is also available for general questions about how the assessment process works in Sitka.

The 2025 Tax Roll is available as an Excel file and gives a full listing of all taxable parcels with their assessed values. This is useful if you want to review your property's value in context with other parcels, or if you are doing research on Sitka's overall assessment base. Contact the Assessing Department to get current links to these downloads, since the borough website structure may change from year to year.

The department also provides depreciation tables and examples for business personal property valuation. These help business owners understand how their equipment values are calculated and what the impact of age and condition adjustments might be.

Appealing a Sitka Property Tax Assessment

If you disagree with your assessed value, start by contacting the Assessing Department informally during the March 15 to April 15 window. Many issues are resolved at this stage without a formal appeal. Staff can explain the data and methods used to value your property. If they find an error, they will issue a corrected notice.

If the informal review does not resolve your concern, file a written appeal with the Sitka Board of Equalization within 30 days of receiving your assessment notice. The appeal must state specific grounds: the value is unequal, excessive, improper, or represents an under-valuation. The appeal form is available from the Assessing Department. At the board hearing, you will need to present evidence. Comparable sales, a recent independent appraisal, photos, or documentation of condition issues all help your case. The board decides based on what you and the assessor present.

Under AS 29.45.210, a Board of Equalization decision can be appealed to Superior Court. The Superior Court review is based on the hearing record, so the strength of what you present at the board level matters significantly if you anticipate going further. The Sitka Appeal Form and Appeal Withdrawal Form are both available from the Assessing Department.

Note: The 6.00 mill rate is not subject to appeal. It is fixed in the charter and can only be changed by voter approval. Assessment appeals cover only the assessed value of a specific parcel.

Sitka Property Deeds and Recorded Documents

All real property documents in Sitka, including deeds, mortgages, easements, liens, and plat maps, are recorded with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Recorder's Office. Sitka falls within the Sitka Recording District. The DNR online search system lets you look up documents recorded since 1970 by name, document type, date, or document number. Digital images are available for most recorded documents.

The Assessing Department maintains separate ownership and property records for assessment purposes, including legal descriptions and mailing addresses for all property owners. If your contact information has changed, file a Change of Address Form with the Assessing Department to make sure you receive future assessment notices and tax bills at the correct address. Assessment notices and tax bills go to the address on file, and missing one can cause you to lose an appeal deadline or face delinquency charges on a bill you never received.

For certified copies of deeds or other recorded instruments in Sitka, contact the DNR Recorder's Office directly. The Anchorage office can be reached at (907) 269-8875. Staff can guide you through the search process and help you request the specific document you need.

Nearby Southeast Alaska Boroughs

Sitka is surrounded by other Southeast Alaska boroughs and census areas, each with its own property tax system. Use the links below to find records and contacts for nearby jurisdictions.