As 2010 comes to a close, the city's budget process wraps up. Public participation in this year's budget-building exercise was unprecedented and greatly appreciated. In the end, the discourse was civil, constructive, and exceedingly helpful in balancing the needs of the city with strained municipal finances. In other news, the Knik Arm Crossing project just cleared a major hurdle, and the charitable spirit of Anchorage residents is alive and well. As always, you can contact me at mayor@muni.org, or follow me on facebook or twitter.  Merry Christmas!

2011 budget passes Assembly with unanimous vote

My 2011 General Operating Budget for the Municipality of Anchorage passed the Assembly by unanimous vote last week.

It's was a long road to get to that point, and citizens deserve a note of thanks for taking the time to fully participate and engage in the budget-building process. Feedback generated at the Community Budget Dialogues undoubtedly assisted me and Assembly members as we looked at the various ways to approach the budget shortfall. We had to deal with exceptional challenges, but ultimately, by working together, were able to come up with a reasonable compromise between taxes and spending. It's not a perfect solution, but it does reflect a commitment to meeting our city's essential needs during a period when many families are struggling to stay afloat. Property taxes will increase less than one percent next year─ a direct result of the budget dialogues where 67 percent of participants said not to increase these taxes.

We will face another challenging budget year in 2012, and I look forward to hearing from the public again when we discuss those budget choices. Until then, please feel free to weigh in anytime about matters related to the municipal budget or other items of interest by emailing me directly at mayor@muni.org.