NOTN- Juneau Assembly members are bracing for tough budget decisions as they begin sorting through a broad list of possible service reductions and revenue changes intended to close some future funding gaps.
The Assembly Finance Committee met last night and members reviewed a “service reduction summary” outlining dozens of options, from closing one of the city’s public pools to trimming grants and changing how the city handles criminal prosecutions.
Finance Committee Chair Christine Woll, stressed that no cuts were being adopted yet, but said the Assembly must narrow the list so staff can focus their limited time.
“I know we’ve gotten lots of emails, as we expected, because these are pretty startling to see.” She said, “But you can’t look at our finances and not start discussing some of these things, that’s where we’re at. My intent today is not that we are voting on any things, we’re going to focus our discussion on where we need more information from staff to move forward in this process. At some point, we’re going to have to start reducing this list.”
City Manager Katie Koester and Finance Director Angie Flick said they will compile a memo for the committee’s April 29 meeting, answering questions and attempting to attach firmer cost estimates to selected ideas. Many items currently have no fixed dollar amounts attached, particularly those unlikely to produce savings by fiscal year 2027.
“Thank you all for working on a task that’s hard and not fun and probably nauseating in the process.” Said Flick.
Several of the highest‑profile possibilities involve facilities and recreation, such as potentially “Mothballing” one or both municipal pools, with members requesting analysis of which pool to close, impacts on user groups and staffing, and whether organized swim clubs could help operate a facility.
“Mothball means truly close the facility, not permanently, but we would keep it in warm status.” Said Koester, “We would keep it so that it could be turned back on, essentially. And so there would be an expense to that.”
Members also discussed changes at the Mount Jumbo facility and the Dimond Park Field House, including what services they provide, who uses them and how closures or relocations would affect maintenance workloads.
The final big ticket item on the list is, options for the Juneau City Museum, including what minimum operating space staff believe is needed and whether the city can legally divest parts of the collection.
The committee also debated whether to shift misdemeanor prosecutions back to the state, city staff say this could save roughly the cost of operating a pool but would reduce Juneau’s autonomy over criminal justice.
Members requested additional information in several other areas:
- How higher utility rates and reduced general fund support are affecting a growing backlog of infrastructure projects, and scenarios for splitting funding between utility customers and street work.
- A breakdown separating mandatory or grant‑funded travel from discretionary trips, including which portions fall on the general fund.
As well as discussions around Bartlett Regional Hospital- whether a city subsidy is necessary, and Animal Control- adding cat licensing, which members believe could offset animal control costs.
“When you start making policy around animals, this could very well be the time we’re looking for every penny and dime, So if people feel strongly like we’re looking for all the pennies then fine.” Said Assembly Member Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, ” I just know that when you get animals involved, and maybe this would be the time, because they’d get overpowered by people who don’t want their facilities closed, but it just usually bogs down the process. Anytime you bring people’s pets into it, it usually just goes nuts.”
The committee also asked for analysis of leasing the largely underused Douglas fire station.
Most empowered‑board budgets, including docks and harbors and the airport are advancing as proposed by their respective boards.
Members also weighed a series of foregone revenue options, places where the city may be losing money where they could be gaining.
The Committee reviewed a pared-down list of revenue ideas that identified 47 potential sources of foregone revenue.
One early focus was a possible property tax on commercial vessels, where Flick said the city lacks the data to estimate how much revenue could be raised.
On new revenue options, members discussed a potential business license program and local registration requirements, but agreed those ideas would not generate money in time for FY 2027.
“We move to instruct staff to bring back additional information on these two new revenue options to the finance committee after the budget process.” Said Neil Steininger.
There were no objections.
Later in the meeting, the panel advanced an ordinance to renew Juneau’s 3% temporary sales tax on the October ballot.
“Previously, we asked the body if you wanted to have an ordinance drafted to put on the ballot in October, a renewal of the 3% sales tax. And your answer was yes. And so in the packet tonight, is a draft ordinance.” Said Flick, “It has all the same intent language on how the 3% is split as we did.”
Mayor Beth Weldon described this as roughly one-third of the city’s operating budget. The draft measure will move to the full Assembly for scheduling and a future public hearing at a later date, but the public should expect to see this before June.
“These are big, hard decisions,” Said Woll.
