Budget

Federal money committed to Alaska hit a seven-year high of $19.7 billion

Washington committed $19.7 billion to Alaska last fiscal year, the most in at least seven years. A 22% drop this fall is mostly November not reported yet.

by Walter AlaskaNews15h ago2 min read

Northwest Arctic schools finish $1 million ahead as auditors flag bookkeeping

The Northwest Arctic school district planned to dip into savings last year and instead added $1 million, a draft audit says. Its bookkeeping got flagged.

by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read

Mayor seeks $1.5 million from APD's technology levy without naming what it would buy

The mayor wants up to $1.5M more from APD's tech tax fund for unnamed "technology implementation and maintenance," nearly word for word last year's ask.

by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min read

High oil prices put Port of Alaska, school repairs on track for $26 million in state money

High oil prices are on track to unlock $26 million for the Port of Alaska, school repairs, campuses and court security. Oil would need to crater to stop it.

by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min read

Seward homeowners who live in town would get two property tax breaks under final budget

Seward's final budget would cut property taxes and add a break for people's own homes, backed by a 6% summer sales tax. Nothing assured for renters.

by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago3 min readFrom Nov 6

Follows: Seward plan for no city sales tax in winter, 6% in summer gets its first public hearing

Mat-Su's 2027 asks include school debt money, Talkeetna flood help and a stalled railroad

Mat-Su's 2027 wish list: school debt payments from the state, $20 million to protect Talkeetna from the Susitna and $300 million for a stalled railroad.

by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min read

Seward plan for no city sales tax in winter, 6% in summer gets its first public hearing

Seward's proposed budget would let summer carry winter: no city sales tax October through March, 6% April through September. First hearing was Monday.

by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago3 min read

Follows: Seward council members question proposed property tax cut, float exemptions instead

North Slope school budget would use more savings than its draft audit shows

North Slope's school board is set to vote Wednesday on a budget that would use $7.7 million in savings. Its draft audit showed $5.6 million left in June.

by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min read

Alaska's unfunded pension debt fell about $1.2 billion last year, draft statements show

Alaska's two big pension plans earned about 14% last year, nearly twice what they count on, and their unfunded debt shrank by about $1.2 billion.

by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min readFrom Oct 12

Fairbanks mayor's 2027 budget comes with a warning that revenue isn't keeping up

Fairbanks' mayor proposed a 2027 budget with a small surplus and no debt, and warned that property owners can't keep carrying the city alone.

by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago2 min read

Outgoing Homer mayor proposes a new rule for how much money the city keeps in reserve

Homer's outgoing mayor wants the city to save three months of spending, not four months of revenue. She's bringing it the night her successor is sworn in.

by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago2 min read

Follows: Homer mayor proposes changing the rules for how the city writes its budget

Valdez schools superintendent warns health insurance could rise 40% in April

Valdez schools' health insurance could jump as much as 40% in April, the superintendent warned, adding about $1.5 million if claims stay high.

by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago2 min read

Anchorage Assembly chair would cut crime victim grants to shift pre-K to alcohol tax

Anchorage's Assembly chair wants to move half of pre-K back onto the alcohol tax, paying for it by cutting crime victim grants. Vote is Nov. 17.

by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago3 min read

Soldotna's reserve fell $900,000 as mayoral leader seeks to undo sales tax

Soldotna's discretionary reserve dropped about $900,000 last year, just as the man leading the mayor's race says he wants to undo the new sales tax.

by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago3 min read

Follows: Challenger leads Soldotna mayor as Kenai Peninsula election counts continue

Fairbanks council members seek to suspend room tax formula as budget trims tourism share

Fairbanks' mayor wants to give Explore Fairbanks about $725,000 less room tax money than city code calls for. Two council members want to suspend the code.

by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago2 min read

Anchorage proposal would replace yearly ambulance bonds with a $3.345 million levy

Anchorage has borrowed to buy ambulances for at least a decade. The mayor and an Eagle River Assembly member want voters to OK a $3.3M levy instead.

by Walter AlaskaNews6d ago3 min read

Alaska oil falls from its highest price since 2008, trimming one windfall estimate

Alaska oil slid 6.6% in two days from its highest price since 2008. One budget group's windfall estimate fell about $400 million in a week. Still way above $75.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Follows: Alaska oil nears its highest price since 2008, far above what the state budgeted

Skagway budget would move $2 million in clinic costs to cruise tax fund

Skagway's manager wants cruise passenger tax money to cover $2 million of the clinic's subsidy. How much clinic work serves cruise visitors is the question.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Fairbanks mayor proposes cutting capital spending 92.5%, citing lawsuit payments

Fairbanks' mayor wants to cut the city's capital budget by more than 90% next year, saying lawsuit settlement payments have put the city in this spot.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Planners urge dropping or rechecking Anchorage's Academy-Vanguard road project

A South Anchorage road project first flagged as a need around 2009 has more than doubled in price. City planners now say drop it or recheck it.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

Anchorage School Board approves $7.5 million transfer to cover student nutrition deficit

Anchorage schools served more meals, but meal revenue fell nearly $8.9 million short. The School Board moved $7.5 million from the general fund to cover it.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Skagway clinic projects $394,000 overrun tied to a doctor's contract

Skagway's Dahl Memorial Clinic expects a $394,000 budget overrun from a costly doctor contract. The clinic faces a larger deficit if pending grants fail to arrive.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readFrom Oct 29

Juneau's last budget year ended $8.6 million better than forecast, city slides show

Juneau ended its budget year with $8.6 million more in savings than the Assembly expected. It still spent $13 million more than it took in, new slides show.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

North Pole mayor's 2027 budget would hold tax rates and add $801,685 in spending

North Pole Mayor Larry Terch III's 2027 budget keeps tax rates flat but adds $801,685 in spending, mostly for police. Council introduces it Monday, but a gap still looms in the sewer fund.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Anchorage Assembly to consider $1.9 million for police unit targeting impaired drivers

Anchorage police could get about $2.6 million, mostly from the state, to go after impaired drivers, speeders, street racers and distracted drivers.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read

Juneau memo puts glacial flood fight at $933,965 a year, plus barrier upkeep

Juneau's glacial flood response will cost $933,965 a year, plus $1.2 million for HESCO barrier upkeep, a city memo says.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read

LaFrance asks residents to help decide what Anchorage keeps as a 2028 gap looms

Anchorage's mayor asked residents to help decide which city services to keep and how to pay for them, with a roughly $30 million gap projected for 2028.

by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read

Follows: Anchorage mayor proposes 2027 budget that relies on one-time money, warns of 2028 fiscal cliff

High oil prices put $26 million in contingent state projects within reach

Lawmakers tied $26 million in projects to oil averaging $80 through December. It's averaged $97 so far, so crude would need to crater to miss the mark.

by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readFrom Oct 1

Alaska oil nears its highest price since 2008, far above what the state budgeted

Alaska built its budget on $75 oil. North Slope crude hit $129.71 Wednesday, and if prices stay high the state could take in about $1.7 billion extra.

by Alaska News2w ago3 min read

Cordova budget leaves water crew a worker short as it plans a Heney line rebuild

Cordova's water crew hiked in again and again to find at least five breaks in the Heney line. Next year's budget leaves it a worker short for a bigger fix.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read

Seward budget would add a second police sergeant using a job from the closed jail

Seward's budget would give police a second patrol sergeant by moving a job left over from the closed jail. Right now one sergeant oversees eight officers.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

AIDEA board to decide Nov. 4 how much of its earnings to make available to the state

AIDEA's board decides Nov. 4 how much of its earnings to offer the state. After its record year, it declared $17 million, about a quarter of income.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read

Assembly to vote on $12,200 more for Loussac theater's sound and video upgrade

Anchorage's library wants $12,200 more to finish upgrading the Wilda Marston Theatre's sound and video, which the city says has reached the end of its life.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read

North Pole police and fire chiefs propose 2027 budgets about $640,000 higher

North Pole's police and fire chiefs want about $640,000 more for 2027, mostly for wages. Worn-out patrol cars and a full fire station come next.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read

Legislative Council delays extra $8,580 for managing lawmakers' Juneau apartments

Rep. Louise Stutes, who has owned apartments herself, balked at $8,580 more for managing lawmakers' Juneau units, so the Legislative Council punted to December.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

Alaska's first school construction rankings under new scoring rules come out Nov. 5

Alaska's school construction rankings come out Nov. 5, the first under scoring rules rewritten to help rural districts. Districts can appeal theirs by Dec. 1.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read

Anchorage police would get state money to go after street racers and impaired drivers

Anchorage street racers, take note: the Assembly votes Nov. 4 on $2.5 million in state grants paying police to chase racers, speeders and impaired drivers.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read

Seward council members question proposed property tax cut, float exemptions instead

Seward's council poked at a $500,000 property tax cut tied to a summer-only sales tax. Some want the money for year-round residents or young families.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read

North Pole council splits over adding a $110,000 chief of staff with director job vacant

North Pole's mayor budgeted $110,000 for help in his office. Some council members would rather fill the vacant director job, which Santa Claus says is required.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read

Eaglecrest has brought in $2.77 million of its $4.26 million budget, report shows

Juneau's $1.68 million for Eaglecrest is already in, about 40% of the ski area's budget. Season pass sales have reached about $941,000 so far.

by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read