City, Chamber, Preparing for Tax Holiday

Jay Barrett/KMXT

The City of Kodiak’s Tax-Free day is coming up in just over a month, on Saturday, March 7. The plan was patterned after a similar ordinance enacted in Wrangell. On Tax-Free Day, merchants inside city limits will have the option to charge tax or not.

The city’s sales tax is six percent, and there is a limit of 45-dollars for purchases of 750-dollars or more.

To help inform and encourage merchants to participate, the Chamber of Commerce will dedicate its next membership luncheon to the topic. That will take place at the Kodiak Inn on Monday.

City Councilman Jack Maker, owner of the chain of Treasury stores with his wife Rhonda, said Tax Free Day is just one of many small things that could help small businesses say in business:

— (Tax Free 1 59 sec "I know this doesn’t … than some people may think.")

Councilman Tom Walters said he was skeptical at first, but now supports the event:

— (Tax Free 2 49 sec "I wasn’t really all for … expand even, in the future.")

Responding to rumors that some merchants might not participate, Pam Foreman of the Chamber of Commerce said it should be no more difficult than hitting the "tax exempt" key on the cash register, just as merchants do now for those already exempt, such as seniors.