The first look at the Fiscal Years 2019/2020 biennial budget books will be the task at hand when the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Finance Committee meets at Assembly Chambers at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
A biennial budget includes a look into next fiscal year (2019) and a planning budget for two years (2020) down the road. A budget overview will go over the main parts of the budget during the meeting.
The Juneau School District budget will also be presented to the finance committee after it was approved March 27 at a special Board of Education meeting. The district budget, as approved, has nearly $3.5 million in cuts planned. The board is also asking for more than $27 million from the city — which is $1 million more than last year and the highest amount it has ever requested. If the Assembly does not approve the budget in any way, it will need to be revisited by the Board of Education. Last year, the ordinance to appropriate funding toward the district narrowly passed by a 5-4 margin.
A Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) presentation will also be held. According to the city’s website, the “the CIP is a plan of capital improvements proposed for a six-year period, together with an estimated cost of each improvement and the proposed method of financing it. The CIP serves as the overarching strategic plan for improving the public infrastructure of Juneau and is collectively developed by the CBJ Assembly, its boards and commissions, CBJ staff, and the citizens of CBJ.”
Last year, the FY 18 budget was approved with an amount of approximately $335 million.
Funding for new valley transit center, hospital detox addition
Phase I of a new valley transit center may see some partial funding heading its way during the regular Assembly meeting at Assembly chambers 7 p.m. Monday.
An ordinance appropriating $800,000 from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is on the docket for partial funding of a new valley transit center. If approved, the city will match these funds at a level of 20 percent ($200,000) with existing transit center capital appropriation.
The Assembly will also discuss appropriating $700,000 of FY 18 1 percent sales tax monies as partial funding toward upgrades at Bartlett Regional Hospital’s Rainforest Recovery Center. This allocation of the sales conforms a motion approved by the Finance Committee on Jan. 18.
The new project will renovate and provide an addition to the recovery center on the hospital’s campus.
• Contact reporter Gregory Philson at gphilson@juneauempire.com or call at 523-2265. Follow him on Twitter at @GTPhilson.
