Unlike its neighbor in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Borough is not in a “civil emergency.”
In fact, the Borough Assembly says it has a surplus. That means, under one circumstance at least, there could be rebates to property taxpayers.
In its budget built earlier this year, the Mat-Su Assembly presumed that Gov. Michael Dunleavy would indeed veto much of the school bond debt reimbursement, as a way to balance the State budget.
The Mat-Su Borough, where most of the growth has been in the state for families, also has the most school bond debt per capita — $18.4 million.
But through some program cuts and other measures, the Assembly has managed to balance its budget, and has a surplus of about $9 million, which the Assembly decided it’s not going to touch at this time.
If the governor decides to not veto more than the 50 percent he already vetoed from the school bond debt reimbursement, the Assembly agreed this week to rebate money to property taxpayers.
In years past, the State paid up to 70 percent of the bonds that voters in local sub-units of government approved; property taxpayers only paid 30 percent. Gov. Michael Dunleavy has cut that payment to 50 percent.
Although some have asked for a sales tax in the borough, there appears to be little support for or need for it at this time.
DEAR LEGISLATORS ,
NEW WORD: SURPLUS
NEW PHRASE: CUT SPENDING
NEW IDEOLOGY: RESPECT AK FAMILIES’ POCKET BOOK
NEW CONCEPT: SURPLUS REFUND
What about honoring debt, like school bond ?
It is local voters who approve school bonds and the municipality/borough owns the debt. The state is not obligated to honor debt approved by voters in a local election. From the Anchorage 2019 ballot Proposition 1 for school district capital improvement bonds: “The debt will be paid from real and personal property taxes levied and collected areawide in the Municipality. The Municipality will also pledge its full faith and credit for payment of the bonds.” Doesn’t sound like the state’s on the hook for what communities vote to buy. http://www.muni.org/Departments/Assembly/Clerk/Elections/Pages/BallotPropositions.aspx
Leadership that is truly service driven is found in matsu. ??
So they paid off the free ferry?
MSB sold the ferry.
Can we export some of Gambell Carr’s frequent customers on that free ferry to the valley?
If the MOA wasn’t so stupidly 100 million into SAP we might have a surplus too, or at least no ‘economic emergencies’ or tax increases.
Ferry to nowhere.
Port with no customers.
Ski area surveys (20 years!) with no chairlifts.
A rail spur that has no train.
Untrained (read: UNION) employees who click phishing emails costing millions
A school district with a terrible drop-out rate.
Yahoos! Mat-Su! Dumb is at its peak in the valley.
Hey, Mr. Moved Outta There,
You may want to take a look at Hatcher Pass. This past few weeks, a triple chair lift is being installed. Also, Mat Su schools have some of the highest scores in the state. Tourism grows annually…. Oh and BTW, still the fasted growing area in the state.
Sadly, MOA would not allow the ferry to dock on their side of the pond due to a change in administration of Mayor; to bad, the state of Alaska would have benefited from that transportation link to Pt Mac; a dock that could save tax payers millions in Anchorage from their failing under budgeted port.
Mat Su has consolidated their budget by cutting services to residents…
I pay for “road service” taxes each year but do not even get my road plowed by borough contractors…
In Willow our transfer station for trash was cut down to 3 days a week.
This is after the transfer site stopped taking metal products like freezers over one year ago…the result of these cost cutting ideas is more trash is showing up at the end of dirt roads around the borough.
I for one think there is a point when too much has been eliminated and the quality of life suffers for property owners.
Steve, I agree. I was at the MSB meeting that night and I did not hear surplus in any of the conversation.
And yet, a headline on ADN site says Matsu calling for 2% sales tax to “offset rising property taxes”.
Who’s smoking what here?
All the liberals in The Valley are jealous of Seattle, Portland, and San Fran.
They would like to use that $9 million to promote homelessness by building shelters, giving out free needles and maybe a little cash. Yes to them, the mark of advanced civilizations and real compassion is people sleeping, crapping, and doing drugs on the sidewalk.
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