I recently announced the budget items I plan to make a priority going into the 2011 budget revision process. The Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) is uniquely positioned for this year's budget amendments because of savings realized in the 2010 budget.

My proposed amendments represent a continued commitment to public safety, as evidenced by the proposal to apply federal grant money to hire additional firefighters and fund a police academy. My administration's amendments also demonstrate continuing fiscal responsibility by way of paying off long-standing loans and liabilities dating from 2006-08, which are outlined below in more detail.

The good news is that the MOA was able to trim costs by $11 million in 2010 by working more efficiently. As a result, I plan to apply almost $7 million in savings toward property tax relief. By better managing overtime and drastically reducing optional spending such as employee travel, the MOA is now able to fund the aforementioned public safety items without dramatically increasing property taxes.