Budget cuts draw worried residents to meeting

WASILLA — The first round of hearings on the Mat-Su Borough’s budget for next year seem to have exposed mostly a healthy opposition to the mayor’s plan to cut matching funds for state grants to local nonprofits.

Lisa Wade with the Chickaloon Village Tribal Council stepped up to testify Wednesday evening with her daughter in her arms.

“Without services like the Alaska Center for Resource Families that helped us with adopting her she would be living in a whole other city,” Wade said.

The center is on the list of nonprofits that receive state money so long as the borough puts up 30 percent of the funds. Mayor Larry DeVilbiss has said that if a budget passes with the matching funds intact he will cut them out himself. He said he supports the nonprofits, even donates to some of them himself, but he doesn’t think its fair to force taxpayers to support them.

Carl Baker, who sits on the board of directors for the Palmer Senior Center, said the money the center gets is crucial.

“We are growing by leaps and bounds down there,” he said. Losing the funding “would be a real detriment to us and to the community.”

Eddy Ezelle, head of the Food Pantry of Wasilla, noted that the borough funds are far from the bulk of his budget. But, he said, the agency serves 3,500 residents a month and borough money accounts for 13 of those people.

“It’s very important that we have these funds and these resources for these people to be able to feed themselves,” he said.

A number of assembly members made a point of stating their opposition to DeVilibiss’ plan.

“Seniors, food pantry, Meals On Wheels, you can count on my support,” said Assemblyman Jim Colver. “That’s a no-brainer.

Assemblywoman Cindy Bettine agreed.

“You can count on my support,” she said.

Assemblyman Mark Ewing said he supports the seniors. He said he’s got a number of cuts in mind, but would rather cut things like studies and recreational facilities before cutting other things.

Also at the meeting, firefighters and medics expressed concern about possible cuts coming to their departments. Cliff Silvers, chief of the borough’s dive rescue team, pointed out that responders are already stretched thin in the Valley, where 550 responders cover 100,000 square miles.

Some residents came to offer new ideas for how to save money. Jay Nolfi, a former assembly member, suggested finding a way to convince airlines that the borough should receive frequent flier miles when its employees take a trip.

“The usual response I get is that the airlines won’t allow it,” she said. But as it stands now, those miles go to the employee. “Thousands upon thousands of air miles are being acquired at our expense.”

The assembly is set to begin deliberating the budget tonight. There are more deliberations scheduled for next week and the week after, though not all of those meetings will necessarily be held.

It is during this phase that the assembly actually decides which cuts to make. The process ends with the assembly setting the tax rate for next year and adopting the budget.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.