Kenai Peninsula mulls seasonal groceries tax

KENAI - Kenai Peninsula Borough voters will go to the polls to decide whether a borough sales tax on non-prepared food should be dropped when most tourists go home.

Voters will decide Tuesday whether the 3 percent tax should be dropped from Sept. 1 through May 31 each year.

The seasonal tax break is the idea of Alaskans for Grocery Tax Relief Now.

Chairman James Price of Nikiski is a veteran of the ballot initiative process.

He says taxes on groceries are a burden on those who are least able to pay and that groceries are not taxed in most Lower 48 states.

Passing the proposition would cost the borough an estimated $1.8 million.