The Anchorage Assembly, on a vote of 9-2 Friday afternoon, chose to override Mayor Dave Bronson’s budget vetoes, and instead pushed the city’s budget by nearly $2 million, all the way to the tax cap.
The Anchorage Assembly tax-and-spend majority authorized revenue amounts that are not certifiable to fund sources and exceed projections, according to the Municipal Finance Department, which informed the appropriating body of the fiscal hazard.
“I fundamentally disagree with this decision,” said Mayor Bronson. “Spending in the Municipality ballooned 20% from 2016 to 2021, while our population declined by nearly 15,000 residents. We must reign in spending and put taxpayers first. I will continue fighting to make government more efficient, responsible, and accountable to the people of Anchorage. We simply cannot spend more than we have.”
The Assembly majority has not come to grips that they are spending more than is likely to come in though taxes and fees in the coming year, and that homeowners are already strained by the increases in property taxes.
The Assembly majority, during the special meeting, strenuously objected to the Finance Department’s assertion that the funding sources were not certifiable.
