KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The City of Kodiak’s budget for the coming year is expected to be approved at tonight’s regular meeting of the Kodiak City Council.
The city’s budget process has been decidedly low key compared to the Kodiak Island Borough’s budget.
KMXT’s Maggie Wall attended Tuesday night’s council work session where they reviewed proposed budget cuts.
— (City Council Preview 2:16 "If everyone else…on KMXT/ SOC")
If everyone else is taking cuts, so should the City Council. So said council woman Pat Branson who recommended greatly reducing the council’s travel budget.
Branson said that while she supports the events and training that council members attend, she felt they could limit the number of people who attend specific events.
Out goes the annual legislative reception-which also got the ax from the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly when it did the borough’s budget. The borough and city have traditionally split the costs of the annual event where local officials can bend the ear one-on-one with legislators from other parts of the state.
That’s $10,000 plus the airfare to get council members to Juneau for the reception.
Those are just some of the tweaks proposed for the city’s budget during Tuesday night’s work session as the council made a final review of the spending plan for next fiscal year, which begins July 1st.
The council is expected to pass the Fiscal Year 2012 budget during tonight’s regular council meeting.
City Manager Aimee Kniaziowski has said that the budget is "level" compared to previous years-funding city operations at essentially the same level as last year. Cuts were made throughout the city to accommodate the increases in costs in fuel, health insurance and other items-some of which jumped drastically since last year.
Some of the city-funded items include the library, the harbor, ambulance service, the jail, wastewater treatment and fresh water for those connected to the city’s sewer and water systems.
A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held early in the meeting.
The second public hearing of the night is on proposed changes to the city’s pawn shop regulations.
The council will also consider a number of contract renewals including ones with the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce for economic development and with the Kodiak Island Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for destination marketing and tourism development.
Tonight’s city council meeting begins at 7:30 and will be broadcast live here on KMXT.
I’m Maggie Wall.
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