ALASKAN FLAVOR – Young dancers Eloise Branch, Ella Haley Colliver, Maddox Dozier, Molly Hames, Maddy McDevitt, Aurora Phillips and Annie White emerge from the skirt of Mother Ginger, played by Jill Kisaka, during a rehearsal for “The Nutcracker” Wednesday. The Alaska-themed ballet opens 7 p.m. tonight at the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are on sale at fineartscamp.org/shows and at the door. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sitka Tax-Free for 2 Days Following Thanksgiving
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The two days after Thanksgiving this week will be additional holidays for Sitka shoppers.
These will be sales tax holidays, when the city’s 5 percent sales tax won’t be charged on most retail sales.
The post-Thanksgiving tax-free days have become a tradition, though they have to be authorized in advance each year – which the Assembly did on Sept. 13, setting Nov. 25 and 26 for this year’s shopping event.
The tax exemption applies to sales other than for fuel, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or “any sale that is part of a continuing obligation to the buyer to pay the seller over time,” the Assembly motion said.
City Finance Director Melissa Haley said the city doesn’t have a tracking mechanism for a precise figure on the amount of tax-free spending that can be expected, but based on recent years it estimates it will be $500,000 over the two days.
That would mean a loss to the city of about $25,000 in sales tax revenue.
The city collects tax on sales by online retailers, but Haley said she can’t estimate how much tax revenue will be forgone through those sales.
The event is intended to provide an incentive to shop locally, and most retailers have given the event positive reviews.
The Assembly started the sales tax holidays decades ago, but formerly reviewed sales tax figures before approving one or two days of “holidays” through an ordinance. In 2013, the holidays were made a part of the Sitka General Code, with the provision that the Assembly can declare them with a single reading at the Assembly table.
Shirley Robards, co-owner of Stereo North, has been supportive of the holiday since the start. She said she appreciates that the Assembly now declares the dates for the tax holidays in September, allowing her time to plan special sales for those dates.
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AK COVID-19
At a Glance
(updated 9-12-2023)
By Sentinel Staff
The state Department of Health and Social Services has posted the following update on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alaska as of 8:57 a.m. Tuesday, September 12.
New cases as of Tuesday: 278
Total cases (cumulative) statewide – 301,513
Total (cumulative) deaths – 1,485
Case Rate per 100,000 – 38.14
To visit the Alaska DHSS Corona Response dashboard website click here.
COVID in Sitka
The Sitka community level is now "Low.'' Case statistics are as of Tuesday.
Case Rate/100,000 – 152.50
Cases in last 7 days – 13
Cumulative Sitka cases – 3,575
Deceased (cumulative) – 10
The local case data are from Alaska DHSS.
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20 YEARS AGO
October 2003
Sitka’s new city engineer, Dan Jones, 51, says his nearly 30 years in the field has given him qualifications for all aspects of his new post. ... He replaces Milt Ludington, who has moved to a different position in the city public works department.
50 YEARS AGO
October 1973
One of the most active organizations around town this fall has been the Sitka High Drill Team, the Wolverettes. A spaghetti feed Saturday is the latest project.
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