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Plans to double Anchorage aircraft registration tax anger local pilots
Rob Stapleton | Oct 23, 2010
aircraftrowpanc-rob-stapleton
Rob Stapleton photos
Owners of over 1000 aircraft in the Anchorage area are facing a 100 percent increase in a registration tax that the Municipality of Anchorage want to increase with an omnibus amendment to the Anchorage Assembly.
Owners of over 1000 aircraft in the Anchorage area are facing a 100 percent increase in a registration tax that the Municipality of Anchorage want to increase with an omnibus amendment to the Anchorage Assembly.
Aircraft owners in Anchorage are once again under attack, this time by a proposed registration tax increase by the Municipality of Anchorage.
"We as aircraft owners are under siege once again with a proposed 100 percent tax increase that is discriminatory against the aviation community," said Dick Lochner, secretary of the Birchwood Airport Association, to the 100-member association Wednesday night.
Currently all aircraft owners with an address within the municipality are charged $75 dollars per engine, per aircraft.
The new tax on single engine aircraft, gliders, and hot air balloons will go up to $150 each. Aircraft with two or more engines pay $125 now, but if the amendment passes a fee of $225 per aircraft, commercial or non-commercial, per year will be levied.
The proposed Omnibus amendment (A.O. 2010-81, Section 14, 12.08.060) will be introduced to the Anchorage Assembly on Oct. 26.
"Every aircraft owner on this field should storm city hall," said Lochner. "And I urge you all to write letters, send faxes and e-mails to Mayor Dan Sullivan protesting this egregious increase. And remind him that he is not living up to what he has printed right under his picture on the muni website."
Lochner is referring to the slogan under the mayor's image on the municipal website: "Mayor Dan Sullivan will continue his focus on improving public safety, holding the line on taxes and ensuring that Anchorage is a great city to live, work and play."
"Hells bells, this is not holding the line on taxes," said Lochner. "And why aren't they taxing four wheelers, snow machines, personal watercraft and boats with the tax? It's just downright discriminatory."
Birchwood Airport has over 400 aircraft hangared and tied down. It is owned and operated by the State of Alaska Department of Transportation.
dicklochner-rob-stapleton
Dick Lochner, secretary of the Birchwood Airport Association, gives examples of how to comment on the upcoming amendment to increase an aircraft registration fee 100 percent to members of the association at a membership meeting on Oct. 20 in Chugiak.
"We get virtually no services from the municipality at this airport other than a bill in the mail," said Rod Elg. "This is just a legal form of robbery."
Merrill Field has 877 aircraft, Lake Hood has 1000, Birchwood has 400 and there are hundreds more airplanes on lakes in garages, warehouses and backyards about to get some new attention.
According to Dan Moore, treasurer for the Municipality of Anchorage, the amendments were suggested after a budget review by the Office of Management and Budget that suggested different revenue generators.
The reason for targeting aircraft explains Moore, is that they are easier to track.
"Due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations that require every aircraft to have a valid active address and a home base airport, airplane registration with the Municipality is possible," Moore said." The other types of personal property are far too difficult to track and it takes too much manpower and time to verify their details and ownership."
One of the other main reasons that OMB suggested the increase in what the MOA is calling a registration fee is because it has not been raised since 1995 when a flat fee per aircraft was charged. Previously aircraft were taxed based on an appraised value of the aircraft and charged much more, according to Moore.
Aircraft owners at the meeting see this as yet another attack by government on general aviation.
"First it's the TSA, then the price of fuel, then the EPA avgas issue now it's a frickin' tax on our airplanes whether they are airworthy or not," said Lars Gleitsmann, the government affairs liaison for Anchorage chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Every N-numbered aircraft registered to an Anchorage resident, whether flying or not, will be forced to pay the registration tax, according to Moore.
Another pilot owner who wished not to be identified lamented the tax as well.
"I have a 1945 Dodge truck that is worth more than my 1948 Aeronca Sedan and it's not getting taxed anywhere close to this."
But aircraft owners will get a chance to voice their opinion about the increased registration fee next month.
"The amendments will be introduced on Oct.26 and there will be public testimony on the omnibus proposals starting Nov. 9," said Moore. "There will be several opportunities for public input in Nov. before this is passed."
Lochner and his group have vowed to contact every aircraft owner in the municipality and ask them to flood the assembly chambers during public testimony on the amendments.
"We will storm city hall if we have to make our point, we can stop this but we will have to keep on the Mayor," added Wes Erb, president of the Birchwood Airport Association.
Rob Stapleton can be reached at robstapleton(at)alaska.net This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Plans to double Anchorage aircraft registration tax anger local pilots
Rob Stapleton | Oct 23, 2010
aircraftrowpanc-rob-stapleton
Rob Stapleton photos
Owners of over 1000 aircraft in the Anchorage area are facing a 100 percent increase in a registration tax that the Municipality of Anchorage want to increase with an omnibus amendment to the Anchorage Assembly.
Owners of over 1000 aircraft in the Anchorage area are facing a 100 percent increase in a registration tax that the Municipality of Anchorage want to increase with an omnibus amendment to the Anchorage Assembly.
Aircraft owners in Anchorage are once again under attack, this time by a proposed registration tax increase by the Municipality of Anchorage.
"We as aircraft owners are under siege once again with a proposed 100 percent tax increase that is discriminatory against the aviation community," said Dick Lochner, secretary of the Birchwood Airport Association, to the 100-member association Wednesday night.
Currently all aircraft owners with an address within the municipality are charged $75 dollars per engine, per aircraft.
The new tax on single engine aircraft, gliders, and hot air balloons will go up to $150 each. Aircraft with two or more engines pay $125 now, but if the amendment passes a fee of $225 per aircraft, commercial or non-commercial, per year will be levied.
The proposed Omnibus amendment (A.O. 2010-81, Section 14, 12.08.060) will be introduced to the Anchorage Assembly on Oct. 26.
"Every aircraft owner on this field should storm city hall," said Lochner. "And I urge you all to write letters, send faxes and e-mails to Mayor Dan Sullivan protesting this egregious increase. And remind him that he is not living up to what he has printed right under his picture on the muni website."
Lochner is referring to the slogan under the mayor's image on the municipal website: "Mayor Dan Sullivan will continue his focus on improving public safety, holding the line on taxes and ensuring that Anchorage is a great city to live, work and play."
"Hells bells, this is not holding the line on taxes," said Lochner. "And why aren't they taxing four wheelers, snow machines, personal watercraft and boats with the tax? It's just downright discriminatory."
Birchwood Airport has over 400 aircraft hangared and tied down. It is owned and operated by the State of Alaska Department of Transportation.
dicklochner-rob-stapleton
Dick Lochner, secretary of the Birchwood Airport Association, gives examples of how to comment on the upcoming amendment to increase an aircraft registration fee 100 percent to members of the association at a membership meeting on Oct. 20 in Chugiak.
"We get virtually no services from the municipality at this airport other than a bill in the mail," said Rod Elg. "This is just a legal form of robbery."
Merrill Field has 877 aircraft, Lake Hood has 1000, Birchwood has 400 and there are hundreds more airplanes on lakes in garages, warehouses and backyards about to get some new attention.
According to Dan Moore, treasurer for the Municipality of Anchorage, the amendments were suggested after a budget review by the Office of Management and Budget that suggested different revenue generators.
The reason for targeting aircraft explains Moore, is that they are easier to track.
"Due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations that require every aircraft to have a valid active address and a home base airport, airplane registration with the Municipality is possible," Moore said." The other types of personal property are far too difficult to track and it takes too much manpower and time to verify their details and ownership."
One of the other main reasons that OMB suggested the increase in what the MOA is calling a registration fee is because it has not been raised since 1995 when a flat fee per aircraft was charged. Previously aircraft were taxed based on an appraised value of the aircraft and charged much more, according to Moore.
Aircraft owners at the meeting see this as yet another attack by government on general aviation.
"First it's the TSA, then the price of fuel, then the EPA avgas issue now it's a frickin' tax on our airplanes whether they are airworthy or not," said Lars Gleitsmann, the government affairs liaison for Anchorage chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Every N-numbered aircraft registered to an Anchorage resident, whether flying or not, will be forced to pay the registration tax, according to Moore.
Another pilot owner who wished not to be identified lamented the tax as well.
"I have a 1945 Dodge truck that is worth more than my 1948 Aeronca Sedan and it's not getting taxed anywhere close to this."
But aircraft owners will get a chance to voice their opinion about the increased registration fee next month.
"The amendments will be introduced on Oct.26 and there will be public testimony on the omnibus proposals starting Nov. 9," said Moore. "There will be several opportunities for public input in Nov. before this is passed."
Lochner and his group have vowed to contact every aircraft owner in the municipality and ask them to flood the assembly chambers during public testimony on the amendments.
"We will storm city hall if we have to make our point, we can stop this but we will have to keep on the Mayor," added Wes Erb, president of the Birchwood Airport Association.
Rob Stapleton can be reached at robstapleton(at)alaska.net This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .