Accountability among budget priorities for city

Frontiersman

WASILLA — Two weeks into 2008 and Wasilla City Council is already planning for the years to follow.

Maintaining a strong economy and keeping local government accountable are among the goals targeted by the council this past week during a special goal-setting workshop. The session was an opportunity for council members to discuss the city’s budget goals and initiatives for 2009 and 2010.

Sandra Garley, deputy city administrator, said setting goals is a vital part of the budgeting process. Ultimately, council and administration will work toward established budget goals by implementing the outlined initiatives developed in the workshop.

“It’s critically important that staff understand what it is the council wants to accomplish before the budget is prepared for the next two years,” Garley said. Most of the budget goals established in the process are recurring long-term goals for the city, including to:

• Maintain a small and efficient local government that is accountable to the city’s residents.

• Encourage a strong and diverse economic base.

• Refine and improve the long-term Capital Project Plan to preserve and improve city infrastructure for future growth.

• Develop stable and equitable sources of revenue that will provide the needed funding to accomplish the city’s mission.

• Continue to work toward self-sufficient enterprise funds and ensure systems meet the needs of residents and businesses.

• Continue providing high-quality, efficient and effective law enforcement.

• Maintain and enhance the quality of life for current and future Wasilla residents and visitors.

Although many of goals are recurring, Garley said there’s always a chance for new goals to be established. Mayor Dianne M. Keller said one of the important recurring goals relates to the budget.

“I would like to highlight the importance of making a balanced budget,” Keller said.

In addition to maintaining an overall balanced budget, Keller said there are some specific budget issues that will have to be addressed.

Currently, a more than $70,000 library budget shortfall exists due to lack of funding, she said. The issue originated when the Matanuska-Susitna Borough decided to reduce its contribution, which reflects a reduction in state funds the Borough uses to bolster the area’s public libraries. In response, the city considered placing a $20 library card fee on non-residents. Ultimately, potential revenue to cover the shortfall was worked into the budget, but the proposal failed to make it past the city council.

The city also has a large financial commitment to a recent settlement of an eminent domain lawsuit — an amount that was larger than originally projected, the mayor said. Although the city has a few financial holes to fill, Keller said Wasilla is in good shape and maintains a 0-mill levy rate.

“I think the city of Wasilla is running pretty well, and my motto is ‘If it’s not broke don’t fix it,’” she said.

The goal-setting team seemed to adopt that motto, choosing to keep all of the prior goals while also adding some new initiatives.

Councilwoman Dianne Woodruff said a few of the main issues she hopes to address are the lack of library funding, the local transportation system, public safety and economic growth.

“I’d like to see us grow with some better-paying jobs and become less of a bedroom community,” Woodruff said.

The city needs to develop its infrastructure to accomplish that goal, she said. This includes better transportation systems and libraries. The city has announced that because of the expected $70,000 shortfall, the Wasilla library has suspended purchasing new books or materials for the next year.

Councilman Marty Metiva shares similar views about the city’s goals.

A new initiative is necessary to help find a way to provide full funding for the Wasilla Public Library, he said. “I think the library system is very important to us and we need to continue to seek funding for the library.”

Along with the library, Metiva said the city needs to create a “long-range economic development plan that focuses on diversification.”

Deputy Mayor Kristofer Larson suggested an initiative that establishes continuing support of the police department’s school resource officer. Having a police presence has been beneficial to local schools, he said. Not only does the officer help maintain safe schools, but interaction between students and police has helped establish a better relationship with local youth.

With youth and law enforcement in mind, the group also discussed youth crime and child abuse and agreed it’s necessary to add applicable initiatives to law enforcement’s goals.

Larson said he also wants the city explore its fire safety options. Currently, fire service in Wasilla is controlled by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Although Larson isn’t calling for a transfer of fire service control, he believes it prudent for the city to begin looking at all its emergency response options.

Wednesday’s meeting was one of the first steps in the 2009/2010 budget process, Garley said. With goals established and new initiatives suggested, the next step is to finalize the new initiatives. The city council will then formally adopt the goals and initiatives at a future council meeting.

Although the process is carried out by the city council and administration, it requires more than city entities to set city goals, Keller said.