Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage
Anchorage will have the second highest tax on cigarettes of any city in the country in January. The Anchorage Assembly last night raised the tax to $2.21 per pack. Chairman Dick Traini sponsored the tax hike, saying he hoped it would be a deterrent to smoking among youth.
Three members voted against it, saying the poor will feel it the most.
The tax increase is expected to raise $5-6 million more a year. Traini wants that money to offset property taxes. The Mayor’s budget proposes taxing less than the property tax cap.
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