Wasilla City Council weighs budget

Wasilla's City Council got its first review of the proposed fiscal year 2018 city budget at Monday evening's regular council meeting. Wasilla Director of Finance Troy Tankersley reviewed a PowerPoint presentation on the $20 million plus proposal.

Proposed expenditures for the year, which begins July 1, 2017, is pegged at approximately $20.3 million, up from last fiscal year's amended budget of $18.7 million. A large chunk of that increase, approximately $1.3 million, is attributable to what Wasilla Mayor Bert Cottle called "The Year of the Police". Cottle was referring to moving E911 dispatch services to the Wasilla Police Department. Although the funds will be paid out to the Mat-Su Borough as part of the overall project, they will be repaid back to the city over a period of three years.

The biggest part of the proposed budget, just under 50 percent, is earmarked for public safety. Tankersley said that is not at all uncommon for a city of Wasilla's size. Three more areas--public works, general government and culture and recreation are evenly split at about 15 percent each. The remainder is non-departmental.

Revenues for the same period are pegged at $18.8 million. Tankersley noted the city's two-percent sales tax is expected to provide just over 75 percent of that amount. Local and intergovernmental revenues will provide another 6.5 percent and almost all of the remainder will come from other revenues and transfers. Tankersley noted the city millage rate is pegged to remain at zero mills.

Although the council has until June 30 to adopt the budget, it has scheduled public hearings twice weekly leading up to that date. Hearings scheduled for this week were canceled, but the next is scheduled for Monday, April 24 and a second on Wednesday, April 26. Both start at 6 p.m. Wasilla Deputy Administrator Lyn Carden said there is a good chance the council adopt the budget following the April 26 session.

Julie Estey of Matanuska Electric Association (MEA), made a presentation regarding its ongoing right-of-way line clearing project. She reviewed procedures, locations and other pertinent information. Affected city residents will be contacted by MEA regarding any required cutting or brushing.

Approved consent agenda items included : a three-year contract with the city's International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), Local 302, and accepting a $144,000 borough grant for the Menard Pedestrian Trail project.

One resolution was pulled out of the introductions scheduled for action at next week's meetings and moved to new business. Resolution 17-13 authorized the transfer of a portion of the city water utility service area to Eagle Utilities. Public Works Director Archie Giddings explained a private developer requested he be allowed to develop a water source for 40 acres of land off Trunk Road.

Giddings said the developer plans to construct homes on half-acre plots. Giddings said it would be cost prohibitive for the city to extend its water lines to that location. He said in the past, such project costs were covered by federal and/or state grants and that the only way to accomplish hooking up city water to the site would be through going into debt. Giddings said that as the city continues expansion, the site will eventually be enveloped by the city sometimes in the future.