Juneau cuts trail brushing, lays off arboretum worker in FY2027 budget

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly finalized budget cuts that eliminate all trail brushing on CBJ-owned trails and lay off an arboretum worker, Parks and Recreation Director Marc Wheeler disclosed in a director's report prepared as an information item for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee's July 7 meeting.

The Assembly adopted the Fiscal Year 2027 municipal budget at its June 8 meeting after a five-hour session with public testimony. The parks cuts were among the reductions approved that night.

A $75,000 reduction to the Parks and Landscape Maintenance budget was implemented by cutting the Trail Mix contract by the same amount. Trail Mix, Inc. is the nonprofit that partners with CBJ to brush and maintain city-owned trails. Wheeler's report stated the contract reduction would eliminate brushing on CBJ-owned trails in FY2027.

At the Jensen Olson Arboretum along Glacier Highway north of downtown, a $41,100 cut reduced staffing from 1.79 full-time equivalents to 1.39 FTE. One part-time employee was laid off; a second part-time employee had hours reduced. Wheeler's report noted the arboretum cut would eliminate public programming there.

During Assembly Finance Committee deliberations in May, City Manager Neil Steininger defended the arboretum reduction. "This won't completely shutter the Arboretum. We will not be bulldozing over the plants. It will, you know, continue to have some life," Steininger said, according to an earlier Alaska News article covering the May 20, 2026, Finance Committee meeting. Assembly Member Beth Weldon pushed back on the trail brushing cut at the same session. "I think these cuts were already made. These are not service reductions, there were cuts already made in the budget, and so these are real items, and they're not used just to beautify the city," Weldon said.

The Assembly also approved vacating Mt. Jumbo School in Douglas and selling the property. Gym activities and the Facilities Maintenance Division will move to the Marie Drake building this fall.

Voters will see a question on the October ballot proposing a 1% seasonal sales tax, collected April 1 through September 30, intended to help fund indoor and outdoor recreation in Juneau. Wheeler's report described the language as intent language similar to that behind other CBJ sales taxes. Only the Assembly can appropriate the funds if voters approve the measure.