Schools, ambulance service top Mat-Su Borough budget priority list

PALMER — Some Mat-Su Borough Assembly members said they were focused on education and public safety as budget deliberations were set to begin Monday.

The second of two borough budget hearings in Willow on May 7 drew between 100 and 150 people, of whom about 30 testified. While the first budget hearing in Wasilla on May 5, drew only six people.

In Willow, the main topic of testimony was the proposed 2.75 mill rate for the fire service area, which would more than double one portion of the property tax bill there. Officials have said the increase is necessary to provide safe and effective fire coverage. Opponents have argued the rate increase is too steep and must be put to a vote.

Borough attorney Nick Spiropolous said the increase would not require a vote because it does not exceed the percentage threshold that would trigger the requirement for a vote.

Assembly members said they were focused on finding ways to fund items on a four-page list of departmental requests already trimmed from the budget, which currently projects an $11.4-million shortfall.

Borough manager John Moosey also has said a flat mill rate is not sustainable long-term.

Even so, assembly members appeared likely to consider items on a four-page list of foregone department requests, ranging from a denied increase for up to $2.1 million to replace 12 aging borough ambulances, to a denied request for a 3 percent increase for the school system’s operating fund totaling $1.5 million to off-set state-level reductions, to a denied $500 for office supplies for the borough Development Services Division (which includes planning and ordinance enforcement).

“I will undoubtedly have some amendments to some things that are in the budget, and I think one of those is going to be: two fire service areas — Central and West Lakes — have asked for extra positions, and because the fire service area has raised their own mill rate, they actually have the money for these positions, and it’s sustainable and they say they can keep these positions going,” he said.

“All options are on the table,” District 1 Assemblyman Jim Sykes said. “Education is our most precious investment. I want that to see full funding.”

District 4 Assemblyman Steve Colligan said he was focused on obtaining funding for the Sexual Abuse Response Team (estimated by Wasilla Mayor Bert Cottle at $150,000) and Youth Court, listed at about $50,000 in the borough memo.

SART was a program unlikely to receive any state funding, but crucial for borough residents, Colligan said.

“The bottom line is it’s a service our community needs to provide, it really doesn’t fit in one category, it’s a borough-wide responsibility for safety and welfare,” he said. “Education isn’t the only need, and we’ll see where they fare with the state versus what we have on the table.”

Youth court also is important for the community, Colligan said.

Other assembly members were focused on finding a way to limit the impact of big-ticket items, like District 5 Assemblyman Dan Mayfield. Financing could be arranged to limit the overall impact to the borough, he said.

“I’m going to advocate to purchase those ambulances under a certificate of participation, which makes them cheaper to purchase over a period of time,” he said.

A certificate of participation is a type of municipal security in which a lessee purchases it for the full price — in this case, $2.1 million — in exchange for lease payments over a number of years.

The public’s final opportunity to comment before deliberations begin is at 6 p.m., Monday in the assembly chambers at the borough building.

A planned Tuesday budget session was canceled.

Borough officials have scheduled possible adoption of the budget, as well as an executive session concerning the fate of the M/V Susitna ferry for Wednesday.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.