Assembly passes budgets on first reading with rate increases

Six of the seven Sitka assembly members met via Zoom on Tuesday for the regular assembly meeting. (Screenshot/City of Sitka)

When the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday (4-28-20), it passed a $29 million dollar general fund budget for next fiscal year. And it approved all of the enterprise fund budgets on first reading.

Typically, at the first reading, the city’s budget would be all but finalized. But things are more ‘up in the air’ than usual, this year, as the city waits to receive federal disaster relief funds relating to the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Gary Paxton said the assembly would have to come back in a month or two to adjust the budget.

“This budget is at a rational place, but we do not know what the final numbers will be. But I suspect there’s as much chance that we’ll have increased funding from the feds, either through CARES or future funding, rather than reductions,” he said.

There are rate increases across the board for the enterprise funds. Electric, water and wastewater will see 2 percent increases.

Solid waste rates will be increased by 5.5 percent, with a 2 percent rate increase at the transfer station. Assembly member Richard Wein, who voted against five of the enterprise fund budgets, including solid waste, said he wasn’t happy with how the city was spending money in that fund.

“I just feel we continue to go nowhere, living on an island, shipping off solid waste,” he said. “If you notice, my face is blue because I’ve been talking until my face is blue, about this, certainly about this particular issue.”

Harbors will likely see a 5 percent rate increase as well, but the assembly wasn’t ready to go there just yet. It passed the harbor budget, on first reading, but when it came to a resolution to increase moorage, the group paused.

The long term plan for the harbor fund is to raise rates by 5 to 6 percent every year for the next decade to fund the replacement of aging infrastructure. During public comment, Matt Donohoe testified.

“This fishing fleet cannot afford moorage rate increases. I know if you increase the infrastructure, the money has got to come from somewhere,” Donohoe said. “We can’t continue saying that these harbors are only good for 30 years, even if they still look in good shape, or usable shape, and then not raise the moorage rates. You’re raising the moorage rates, but you’re going to break the back of the fishing industry.”

The assembly voted unanimously to postpone the resolution to raise moorage until the next meeting, to allow more time for public comment.

The general fund, electric, water, wastewater, and airport terminal budgets all passed on 5 to 1 votes with member Richard Wein opposed. The solid waste budget passed on a 4 to 2 vote with Wein and member Valorie Nelson opposed. The harbor fund budget passed 5 to 1 with member Nelson opposed.

The city’s general fund and enterprise fund budgets will be up for final approval at the May 12 assembly meeting.