Anchorage keeps blowing past overtime budgets stuck on a 2010 baseline

Anchorage's police, fire and transit departments are again spending far more on overtime than the Assembly budgeted for 2026 — and a big reason is that the budgeted amounts haven't kept up with reality. The figures are still based on a 2010 baseline that hasn't been adjusted for today's higher salaries, the city's budget director, Ona Brouse, told an Assembly committee Thursday.

Fire overtime hit nearly $7 million in 2025 and police overtime topped $10 million, against 2026 budgets of just $4.3 million for fire and $4.9 million for police. Brouse said both departments are at least trending in the right direction, with overtime spending improving year over year.

Transit is over budget too, though below recent years. The city hasn't had enough bus drivers to cover its routes, forcing mandatory overtime just to keep buses running. Brouse said the city may need to revisit transit staffing levels as it builds the next budget.

Overall, the city's finances are tracking about where they should be partway through the year — Anchorage has spent 51 percent of its 2026 budget with 58 percent of the year gone, and collected about 76 percent of its expected revenue. Public testimony on the 2027 budget opens Oct. 20.