budget

Angie Flick (center), finance director for the City and Borough of Juneau, provides details of an early draft of next year’s municipal budget to Assembly members as City Manager Katie Koester (left) and Budget Manager Adrien Wendel listen during a Finance Committee meeting Wednesday night in the Assembly Chambers. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Assembly members prepare to retreat so they can move ahead on next year’s budget

“Very draft” $190 million spending plan for FY25 based on status quo has $1 million deficit.

Angie Flick (center), finance director for the City and Borough of Juneau, provides details of an early draft of next year’s municipal budget to Assembly members as City Manager Katie Koester (left) and Budget Manager Adrien Wendel listen during a Finance Committee meeting Wednesday night in the Assembly Chambers. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a news conference in April focusing on the budget and a long-range fiscal plan for the state. He signed the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 on Sunday, but did not publicly announce the signing or line-item vetoes made — including cutting in half an increase to public education spending — until Monday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

Dunleavy vetoes half of education increase as he signs budget

Governor cuts $200 million in capital projects, other spending from bill passed by Legislature

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a news conference in April focusing on the budget and a long-range fiscal plan for the state. He signed the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 on Sunday, but did not publicly announce the signing or line-item vetoes made — including cutting in half an increase to public education spending — until Monday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a news conference in which options for a long-range fiscal plan were discussed. Dunleavy said in the coming days, he expects a sales tax proposal to be drafted and that a special session to create long-term plan is possible. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Show we the money: Governor, legislators stage news conference vowing again to work together on long-range fiscal plan

Sales tax and special session loom as possibilities.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks during a news conference in which options for a long-range fiscal plan were discussed. Dunleavy said in the coming days, he expects a sales tax proposal to be drafted and that a special session to create long-term plan is possible. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
From left to right, City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members Michelle Bonnet Hale, Greg Smith and Christine Woll listen to discussion Wednesday night from other Assembly members about the community funding requests for the 2023 fiscal year budget. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Several community asks are on the outs following Wednesday night city meeting

Assembly members makes some tough calls as it works through the budget process.

From left to right, City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members Michelle Bonnet Hale, Greg Smith and Christine Woll listen to discussion Wednesday night from other Assembly members about the community funding requests for the 2023 fiscal year budget. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
State Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, receives a note while presiding over public testimony from Juneau residents about next year’s proposed state budget during a Senate Finance Committee meeting Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Public expresses big hopes for small items in Senate’s budget

State takeover of wetlands permitting, lack of support for social services among main issues

State Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, receives a note while presiding over public testimony from Juneau residents about next year’s proposed state budget during a Senate Finance Committee meeting Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy shakes the hands of state legislators as he prepares to deliver the 2023 State of the State address to the Alaska Legislature on Jan. 23, 2023, in Juneau. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Dunleavy weighs a statewide sales tax amid broader push for fiscal plan

Governor meets with House and Senate members, declines to publicly reveal specifics of proposal

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy shakes the hands of state legislators as he prepares to deliver the 2023 State of the State address to the Alaska Legislature on Jan. 23, 2023, in Juneau. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska House Speaker Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, right, confers with other House members during a break in the floor debate last Wednesday about next year’s proposed budget. She said the original plan of passing a budget last week has shifted due to discussions with the Senate about resolving differences in their spending plans, with a floor vote now planned by early next week.

Budget stalls in House as leaders confer with Senate

Lawmakers trying to work out differences on PFD, education, deficit as final month of session nears

Alaska House Speaker Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, right, confers with other House members during a break in the floor debate last Wednesday about next year’s proposed budget. She said the original plan of passing a budget last week has shifted due to discussions with the Senate about resolving differences in their spending plans, with a floor vote now planned by early next week.
Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, co-chair of the House Finance Committee, speaks in favor of an amendment to restore partial funding for a single Department of Law employee during a 45-minute debate on the proposal Tuesday. Such debates resulted in lots of discussion, but few changes in the House’s proposed budget for next year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Education gets short-term boost, but budget battle drags on

House looks to pass budget this week, but Senate, governor — and OPEC — also affecting spending plans

Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, co-chair of the House Finance Committee, speaks in favor of an amendment to restore partial funding for a single Department of Law employee during a 45-minute debate on the proposal Tuesday. Such debates resulted in lots of discussion, but few changes in the House’s proposed budget for next year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
State representatives Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage, left, Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, and Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, study proposed amendments to next year’s state budget during a House Finance Committee meeting Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

All in a day’s budget debate — voting, sex and taxes

Even the smallest pieces of House committee’s markup show signs of huge policy battles to come

State representatives Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage, left, Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, and Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, study proposed amendments to next year’s state budget during a House Finance Committee meeting Tuesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Legislative fiscal analysts Alexei Painter, right, and Conor Bell explain the state’s financial outlook during the next decade to the Senate Finance Committee on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Legislators eye oil and sales taxes due to fiscal woes

Bills to collect more from North Slope producers, enact new sales taxes get hearings next week.

Legislative fiscal analysts Alexei Painter, right, and Conor Bell explain the state’s financial outlook during the next decade to the Senate Finance Committee on Friday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire Alaska residents, many of them part of an Americans for Prosperity delegation from outside Juneau, wait to testify during a House Education Committee meeting Tuesday night. Most of the people in the room opposed increasing public education spending, while a majority of residents testifying online spoke in favor of an increase.

Public, lawmakers go to school over budget

Feisty testimony offered by residents statewide and legislators respond in kind

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire Alaska residents, many of them part of an Americans for Prosperity delegation from outside Juneau, wait to testify during a House Education Committee meeting Tuesday night. Most of the people in the room opposed increasing public education spending, while a majority of residents testifying online spoke in favor of an increase.
Aaron Prussian, a natural resource specialist for the Sitka Ranger District, goes skiing in Tongass National Forest. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing to leave large portions of the state’s forests intact from timber harvesting and other industrial activity in exchange for carbon credits to help balance the state’s budget. Such restrictions would not make forests off-limits to recreational use. (Will Sirokman / U.S. Forest Service)

What is ‘monetizing carbon credits’? And how would it work?

How the governor is making a “$900 million a year or bust” bet on Alaska’s financial future

Aaron Prussian, a natural resource specialist for the Sitka Ranger District, goes skiing in Tongass National Forest. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing to leave large portions of the state’s forests intact from timber harvesting and other industrial activity in exchange for carbon credits to help balance the state’s budget. Such restrictions would not make forests off-limits to recreational use. (Will Sirokman / U.S. Forest Service)
While nearly $8 million for state disability access projects are proposed on paper for Juneau in Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget for next year, in reality those funds are for statewide items administered through a local office. It is among a number of regional budget items where, to the naked eye, money isn’t necessarily going where it first appears. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Mixed feelings on local items in state budget

Flat funding of ferries, education not a big hit, but governor’s appaent willingness to negotiate is.

While nearly $8 million for state disability access projects are proposed on paper for Juneau in Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget for next year, in reality those funds are for statewide items administered through a local office. It is among a number of regional budget items where, to the naked eye, money isn’t necessarily going where it first appears. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Lawmakers weren’t at the Alaska State Capitol, seen here on Friday, but the House Finance Committee met electronically to discuss Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget.

New revenue or no service, lawmakers weigh options

Time is short.

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Lawmakers weren’t at the Alaska State Capitol, seen here on Friday, but the House Finance Committee met electronically to discuss Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget.
Juneau City Hall on Monday, March 30, 2020. (Peter Segall | Juneau Empire)

Finance committee votes to hold line on property tax

“Projects will still go on. Services will still go on.”

Juneau City Hall on Monday, March 30, 2020. (Peter Segall | Juneau Empire)
The Juneau School District building, March 20, 2020. (Michael S. Lockett | Juneau Empire)

Making do with less: school budget down $2.4M from last year

The budget is stretched tighter and tighter.

The Juneau School District building, March 20, 2020. (Michael S. Lockett | Juneau Empire)
Lawmakers get gloomy budget forcast

Lawmakers get gloomy budget forcast

State can’t keep spending like it is, analysts say.

Lawmakers get gloomy budget forcast
City holds first meeting on proposed budget with slight changes to spending and property tax rate

City holds first meeting on proposed budget with slight changes to spending and property tax rate

It’s like opening day for municipal budgets.

City holds first meeting on proposed budget with slight changes to spending and property tax rate
Opinion: The firecracker budget and Green New Deal

Opinion: The firecracker budget and Green New Deal

A warning against the shrinking marketplace of ideas in Alaska’s budget debate.

Opinion: The firecracker budget and Green New Deal
City and Borough of Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt talks during a special town hall meeting about Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget and how its cuts would affect Juneau, March 11, 2019. (Ben Hohenstatt | Juneau Empire)

City: Proposed state budget would cost Juneau millions, and its schools even more

Don’t panic, but consider sending an email, city officials say.

City and Borough of Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt talks during a special town hall meeting about Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget and how its cuts would affect Juneau, March 11, 2019. (Ben Hohenstatt | Juneau Empire)