Board of Equalization completes oaths, assembly hears assessor and UAS workforce update

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Board of Equalization convened at 5:00 p.m. on March 16, 2026, where members and staff took oaths of office to begin the 2026 session and the board elected its presiding officer for the year.

At the assembly meeting that followed, Adam Thompson, the borough’s Director of Assessment, presented the assessor’s preliminary 2026 real and business personal property roll. Thompson said the roll shows approximately a 3% overall increase and highlighted an unusually large increase in senior exemptions — 48 exemptions reported so far compared with a typical 15–20 in prior years — a figure he said may still rise before the deadline. The assembly moved to acknowledge receipt of the assessor’s report on a roll‑call vote.

During citizen comments, Bill Urquhart, campus director for the University of Alaska Southeast in Ketchikan, described the campus testing center and recent workforce‑development work funded in part by the borough. Urquhart reported GED support with several students completing portions of exams, and said the testing center enables residents to take professional and certification exams locally rather than traveling to Sitka or Anchorage. UAS staff outlined a US Coast Guard‑approved basic training course for high‑school students (12 enrolled this spring) and an American Welding Society testing program (six tested, five passed so far). Urquhart said the university is interviewing for a replacement testing‑center specialist to maintain year‑round services.

Ending: Assembly members thanked staff and presenters; the meeting then moved into the Salmon Falls rezoning public hearing and extended into late‑night deliberations.