The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly meets Monday, and on the agenda are two executive sessions related to litigation against the State of Alaska.
The borough was handed a victory Nov. 21 in its education funding lawsuit against the state. Superior Court Judge William Carey ruled that the state’s requirement that boroughs contribute to local school districts is unconstitutional. The first executive session on Monday is for the Assembly to discuss legal strategy for any upcoming motions and appeals following that ruling.
The second executive session will allow the Assembly to talk about potential litigation over the State Assessor’s full value determination of taxable property within the borough. The borough filed an appeal in October, seeking to reduce that value by about $38 million.
The full value determination is used to establish a municipality’s required local contribution for schools.
According to the motion summary, the borough believes an increase in the value of the Ketchikan Shipyard was unjustified, and the shipyard wasn’t given notice of that increase. The borough also disagrees with the state’s practice of dividing municipalities into two classes for assessment purposes.
The state responded to the appeal and reduced the full value determination by about $2.2 million. The executive session will allow the Assembly to discuss whether to appeal that decision.
Also Monday, the Assembly will discuss its upcoming two-day policy session, set for January 9 and 10.
Monday’s meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in Borough Assembly chambers at the White Cliff building. Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting.