[{"_1":2,"_108":-5,"_109":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",5985425,"mediaKeyId","5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91","parentId",5759337,"title","Assembly hears uncertainty over SAFER grant and SEMT reimbursements; mobile crisis funding possible but not yet secured","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3588000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91&start=3588&end=3588","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91/thumbnail_3588000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5985425/Anchorage-Municipality/Alaska/Assembly-hears-uncertainty-over-SAFER-grant-and-SEMT-reimbursements-mobile-crisis-funding-possible-but-not-yet-secured","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5985425-56c3ec9301a28b1341d40b9b132e3cc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773676438&Signature=kDG4wuytAjbn9Vb7IwVSymNaihBuv0sFXMcjLM3zHbYqgLORqdLXAJ5urD08ltfwt-GE9w5zvGyjoddTXbX~QlriN-Y8QmrzmFcE8JdnvjoKB561D8~gKTF0j~jl4FGSeJBUo5uvvcAEc0-kTyYBXHe7FPekkxnKaFO-5eEhdfDs84n5hYhxFUFJ4yK1XgeDaMGDkvS77lZuPvOy~4KifVA5JCQckvc~WSrYrNH8DartUKQ-vwd5-zb2t~iLxRgoIGXUcvJUJWU0CY-8GKToC3b~ImBpjd-0YI5ltXsKwqj4AQBSgqqus1x1UDW~Eav-oJ6dsnc-vhXttcm09gg0vA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Municipality of Anchorage","date","2025-09-13T10:13:49Z","article","Administration officials told the Anchorage Assembly that the federal SAFER grant that has assisted fire staffing will create a budget gap if not renewed and that state and federal reimbursement lines used for emergency medical transports (identified in the session as SEMT) are projected to decline in 2026, complicating potential funding for the Mobile Crisis Team and other services.

The numbers: OMB staff said that if SAFER funding ends in its current form in 2026, the municipality would face roughly a $2.6 million deficit that would require general-government backfill to maintain the positions funded by the grant. In describing the SAFER timeline, municipal staff said there would likely be a one-year gap before the city could be eligible for a subsequent round of SAFER funding and that future SAFER awards include a municipal match requirement estimated in the transcript at roughly 20'30 percent.

SEMT and Mobile Crisis Team: Staff said SEMT reimbursement (state/federal transport reimbursement) is projected lower in preliminary estimates and that the ACFAR reporting delays have affected reimbursement timing. \"Right now, we have the budget projection is that we are going to lose SEMT funding so that there wouldn't be any additional SEMT money above our current baseline,\" an OMB presenter said. The administration noted that SEMT differential dollars above baseline could be used for AFD operations or for other needs, but current projections do not show extra SEMT revenue available for new commitments.

Scale and staffing: Staff said the current SAFER-funded positions total 18 firefighters supported over the grant term. An administration official said that the municipality has not yet achieved full \"four-pack\" staffing status across all stations, though progress has been made.

What the assembly asked: Members asked for details about where PCNs (position control numbers) reside, how the SAFER positions are distributed across stations and what match requirements would be for future SAFER funding. Staff agreed to follow up with detailed ACFR/SEMT and SAFER documentation for committee review.

Ending: Administration staff agreed to provide more detailed budget documentation and to work with the assembly as the proposed budget is finalized; no formal funding decision was made during the work session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Worksession re 120-Day Budget Memo Sep 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Officials told the assembly the federal SAFER grant that has funded firefighters will leave a $2.6 million gap in 2026 absent backfill, and that projected reductions or timing shifts in SEMT reimbursement could limit funding options for the fire department and the Mobile Crisis Team.","taxTitle","Anchorage Municipality, Alaska","taxId",2653,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},5985429,"Administration proposes to split public works and community development into separate top-line departments",244,816000,1060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91&start=816&end=1060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91/thumbnail_816000.jpg","/articles/5985429/Anchorage-Municipality/Alaska/Administration-proposes-to-split-public-works-and-community-development-into-separate-top-line-departments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5985429-996d44cf7d3f3347fc6ed4fbdd43d12b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773676438&Signature=T2SQ3CVA13TCpb6M8p2QNwVURc8GaKHoY6oth-l7sQNgknJbXYLBaIlSd6V71IJAjmFCO9b5Jkt8HQ~VFR0DQlWgHFJk9xJLgQPBy-fy0fRM-3zPwb8P~dIlwcGesGvHQovZVH2R252xClsF4-2By8qZvCUGuqjCDH~pS7pOVXoKihuLHzQNeW7QJH3dicOc-Al9k0RvvbpVeT~9jBsA7gD19Y~NnZelSYb2yovszhASPm9CH31yKo~Xv0myKqY7W8V947ZFYNy-V0G99OaHjG3JRA3th6BxV6-83OkN71gRncplVjJ-CawlYoNQTIr2ZTjxGfBsi4igcb4qpF-oAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Municipal managers told the assembly on Sept. 12 that a modest reorganization in the 120-day memo would separate public works from community development, removing an extra layer of middle management and creating two primary columns in the budget.

Why it matters: Administration staff said the change intends to reduce redundant management layers, improve efficiency and create space for a leader focused on real estate, planning and development services to drive the mayor's housing agenda. \"This effectively breaks the two and two acknowledging that we don't need that many layers of middle management,\" a municipal manager said during the session.

What the change does: Staff explained that previously the Planning, Development and Public Works (PDPW) position sat above both real-estate/planning and the public-works director, who in turn sat above maintenance and traffic units. The proposed reorg elevates public works to its own top-line budget column while keeping planning and development together so a focused leader can coordinate housing, facilities and street assets.

Questions and responses: Assembly members asked about the logic of multiple leadership layers and the practical effect on departments. Staff said the reorganization is smaller than the prior year's larger reorgs and is aimed at aligning structure with the mayor's priority to support housing and development goals. Municipal Manager Wynn Pearson was invited to provide more detail during subsequent briefings.

Ending: Staff said the change will appear in departmental pages of the full 120-day memo and that more operational detail can be provided in later budget sessions if assembly members request it.","OMB and municipal managers described a small organizational reorganization for the 2026 budget that removes a middle-management layer and elevates public works to its own top-line department to better align with the mayor's housing and development priorities.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},5985432,"Administration outlines $1.2 billion six-year capital needs; warns maintenance is shifted to bonds",852,1569000,2421000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91&start=1569&end=2421","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91/thumbnail_1569000.jpg","/articles/5985432/Anchorage-Municipality/Alaska/Administration-outlines-12-billion-six-year-capital-needs-warns-maintenance-is-shifted-to-bonds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5985432-1e01d68b927b0affebca68f48179a9c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1773676438&Signature=P~DFTK2Vw94~6kpHGUEOtUkhjllbi~7W6bsZzKJ4Mj1~fFrkg2m10IqUMo8hgDRw0e5YVBy~27oIRpsZoJYp7ukS0mt5V58jTWlkOPc~milToqbZRevX77Ylu~Ni9H0MUTKaSnDAJQUJrpbcmlK~eJNSxS~b3wQN-0DIjp1vOgjF5u9SCU7lN1iM-r0~5Fc-A0WvIMCprzcpuZk79mFEtmmFDf0lTpM0PT4WUlvqnIc1y8KBlWc94OR2x3bXpra2iRpPm0noQ5lFXKB-~7fzGHH3~kjWWJjmMsWhmQXgOoPtJy4eFUxZBkdGyWDfz1vK0bnRutKWDXbdNjAmtYvtPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Office of Management and Budget staff told the Anchorage Assembly that departmental requests in the 120-day memo add up to about $1.2 billion over six years and that a substantial portion of those requests fund recurring maintenance that has historically been paid through bonds rather than the operating budget.

Why it matters: Staff and assembly members said routine maintenance lines for drainage, signage, traffic signals and similar annual programs are often listed in bond and capital requests rather than as ongoing operating costs. \"If we were to remove the annual funding lines from all of our bond requests that we ask on an annual basis, it is between 20 and $50,000,000,\" an OMB presenter said, adding those are annual funding amounts that arguably belong in operating budgets.

Key details: The memo presents the full set of departmental capital requests (about $105 million in a single-year departmental list, not the recommended bond request) and department-level six-year projections. The administration said the prior year'to'year bond ask was reduced: the 2025 bond package was about $69 million in actual bonding, whereas departmental asks exceed that figure. Staff advised that many capital projects rely on outside funding partners and that the successful share of state or federal grants is uncertain. The memo also noted the municipality's legislative priority lists have shrunk compared with prior decades, limiting the number of projects likely to receive state capital funding.

Process and prioritization: Assembly members asked how departments prioritize projects. OMB staff said departments generally stage work by feasibility/design and construction phases and that availability of partner funding and emergent repairs (for example, sinkholes) can move projects higher on the queue. Staff said departments are aligning scoring and prioritization processes and that a capital work session in October will address further details.

Population baseline and bond assumptions: Staff told the body that AEDC (Anchorage Economic Development Corporation) will not provide the same annual population report used previously as the municipal population baseline for tax-cap calculations; the administration will use an alternate source unless a new standard baseline is adopted.

Ending: The administration said more detailed capital program materials and project-by-project attachments in the 120-day memo will be available to the assembly and that additional capital-focused work sessions are planned this fall.","OMB staff told the assembly the memo shows roughly $1.2 billion in six-year capital requests and that recurring maintenance often appears in bond requests rather than operating budgets, inflating bond totals and deferring routine upkeep.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":42,"_43":101,"_45":101,"_46":102,"_48":103,"_50":104,"_52":105,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":106,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":107,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},5985434,"Mayor and administration outline 2026 budget outlook, warn of steep state revenue declines",372000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91&start=372&end=372","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5759337-fd93eba5fd83f71c39a5b85e01d7fd91/thumbnail_372000.jpg","/articles/5985434/Anchorage-Municipality/Alaska/Mayor-and-administration-outline-2026-budget-outlook-warn-of-steep-state-revenue-declines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5985434-efd4b9969e48788e4fd51243e450a96f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773676439&Signature=BRvyw4c9xd2qGPFfsPBYNtD2e-4KDsGbRy0v6VgfoVLm5r9fgNJkkdDfWQbLW0ECrMn2OT472vFAujac9JHYzzW4wER-KxfgQPwbdwtYTxlndPGGrDkSps36~hhQUmCuPthg4OS~p4Hhu6M3-5e5tSYuuciF~s9low~aoRbIybuTwdN8V-q33r4ZSSrUVKGWZIVoX9b359NvJxYlCwLhPagHvbqgAVYZlt8Qg0g9arkrO8Uk2Co6PePq1IxT2pr4JSsvYjbw6NkQ-s9mOxnscq76zUSZP7oPHzIgYdQmsiUkYLA0Lj4IVxRvzNui3Bhd5txcmZ8IK1TOO-V8HcjIjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Dave LaFrance and administration officials told the Anchorage Assembly on Sept. 12 that preliminary budget figures for 2026 show constrained local resources and a significant long-term drop in state funding that will complicate planning for operations and infrastructure.

The 120-day memo, required by municipal code to be delivered 120 days before year-end, lays out preliminary 2026 revenue estimates, the city's tax-limit calculation, the capital program and utility budgets. \"The municipal budget is a plan for turning our values and priorities into action,\" LaFrance said, adding the administration will prioritize public safety, housing stability, recruitment and community investments.

Why it matters: OMB and finance staff said Anchorage has lost roughly $700 million in state capital support between the 2005'2014 and 2015'2024 decades, a gap they said has left the municipality with fewer dollars to maintain roads, buildings and other assets. \"If we have to do this alone, people are gonna continue to hear my tax bill went up because the state is receding,\" an assembly member summarized during the session.

Key numbers and drivers: The memo lists several preliminary revenue changes. Administration staff said a $3 million reduction in state community assistance is reflected in the draft numbers; new construction assessed valuation produced roughly $4 million in additional property taxes in the last comparable year even though assessed valuation rose by $193 million; the preliminary limit on property taxes under the cap was shown as about $367 million, roughly $12 million more than the 2025 revised number on current estimates; and the six-year capital program totals roughly $1.2 billion in departmental requests. The administration cautioned that transfers between funds are still being trued up and could change the preliminary totals.

Staff explained the largest recurring operating revenue still comes from property tax, and municipal spending remains capped by the local tax-limit formula. Finance staff flagged several revenue lines that can vary year to year, including room and motor-vehicle rental taxes, alcohol and marijuana sales taxes and state and federal reimbursements. \"The state and federal revenue decrease is due to community assistance from the state of Alaska being decreased by $3,000,000 as well as a reduction in SEMT revenues,\" an OMB presenter said.

Context and next steps: OMB staff said the full 120-day memo is about 70 pages and includes attachments and departmental details. The administration and assembly will continue budget work through the fall, and staff agreed to provide follow-up analyses on several topics requested by assembly members, including the underlying assumptions for the projected drop in room tax and motor-vehicle rental tax and the population baseline previously provided by the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), which the administration said is changing. OMB staff said AEDC will no longer produce the same annual population report and the municipality will need a new standardized baseline for tax-cap calculations.

Ending: Administration officials said they will bring more detailed revenue and capital information to upcoming committee and budget work sessions and that the 120-day memo is intended as preliminary guidance for the assembly's budget deliberations.","Mayor LaFrance and Office of Management and Budget staff presented the municipality's 120-day memo on Sept. 12, citing preliminary 2026 revenues, tax-cap calculations and a $700 million decline in state support over the past decade that will pressure the operating and capital budgets.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Assembly hears uncertainty over SAFER grant and SEMT reimbursements; mobile crisis funding possible but not yet secured

Administration proposes to split public works and community development into separate top-line departments

Administration outlines $1.2 billion six-year capital needs; warns maintenance is shifted to bonds

Mayor and administration outline 2026 budget outlook, warn of steep state revenue declines