As readers likely know, during the budget amendment process Tuesday night the Assembly added $200,000 to prepare for a 2011 police academy but declined to add a like amount for a 2011 fire academy. Yours truly once again found himself as the “swing” vote on these two items as five of my colleagues voted for both academies and five voted no on both while I vote for the police academy and against the fire academy. Since then I’ve heard from a few folks wondering why.
This evening we held our final work session on first quarter budget amendments with final action slated for tomorrow, Tuesday, April 24, after which we’ll set the mill levies that determine how much you’ll pay in property taxes. Despite offering in excess of 100 adjustments, some up, some down, administration officials seemed reticent to endorse any of the dozen or so proposed Assembly amendments. One of the tools employed to discourage budget increments is a spreadsheet forecasting a 2011 budgetary shortfall around $19.8 million
Many of my neighbors have called and e-mailed to register concerns regarding the life insurance policy for former Mayor George Sullivan. I am told, but have not yet seen, that at least one of my colleagues prepared a resolution seeking for the Sullivan trust to reimburse the city until further inquiries can be conducted.
The Assembly covered a lot of ground at today’s work sessions reviewing encouraging news about Anchorage United for Youth‘s successful efforts to better coordinate programs aimed at helping young people succeed, a new Bike Plan aimed at improving non-motorized transit and more information on municipal finances. Each of these items are important and the bike plan may get a little media attention but you can expect the focus to be on financial issues. The question is what will actually get reported. There were three finance-related aspects of note:
As you may have read, last night the Assembly approved four of six proposed bond measures for consideration on the April 6 ballot. That same evening, we decided against adding an advisory vote regarding property tax exemptions to the ballot. Readers might be surprised to know that I opposed each of these items, but not because I was in a contrarian mood.
Returning to the saga wherein many question what happened during the last couple months of the Begich administration, we left our Assembly heroes steadily working on an ordinance aimed at strengthening financial reporting requirements such that any similar miscommunication wouldn’t recur. And yet, it hasn’t been that simple.
At the last Assembly meeting on January 19 six different bond proposals were introduced and will receive a public hearing on February 2, with those approved slated to appear on the April 6 municipal election ballot. After working through the budget process during the last couple months I expected to see one, or maybe two, bonds this spring so even though there are a couple nearly-duplicate submissions I’m a little surprised.
Clark Yerrington, a Mountain View resident and activist with a blog of his own, sent me a thoughtful list of questions to answer for posting on his site. You’re welcome to review them there or here:
On Thursday, December 17, Eagle River resident and former mayoral candidate Bob “The Joker” Lupo pitched his proposal for revamping Anchorage’s tax structure to the Budget & Finance committee. (Editor’s note: “Joker” is not used pejoratively here, instead it is the moniker bestowed upon Mr. Lupo by his motorcycle club.) In a nutshell, Mr. Lupo’s plan would replace Anchorage’s property taxes with a 5% payroll tax, “payable from any wages paid from within the municipality to anyone living anywhere, so those who earn here but live elsewhere will still contribute (emphasis from Mr. Lupo).” According to Mr. Lupo’s analysis a 5% payroll tax would yield $263.3 million from Anchorage residents and $25.3 million from non-residents for a total of $288.6 million, which exceeds current property tax collections by more than $40 million. Lupo touted this, noting, “This is more than enough to finance the current municipality’s budget, pay off the deficit, and have a surplus to boot!”
Tonight, December 8, the Assembly is about to pass a municipal budget for 2010. I spent a great deal of time on this one and the version that ultimately passed had my name on it, but it wasn’t really mine.
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