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Legislative Council approves FY‑26 transmittal with salary adjustments and $441,100 in increments
Summary
The council voted to transmit the Legislative Council FY‑26 proposed budget to the House and Senate finance committees, including statewide salary adjustments and $441,100 in requested increments; the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics’ staffing request was incorporated.
The Alaska Legislative Council on Feb. 12 voted to transmit its FY 2026 proposed budget to the House and Senate finance committees, including statewide salary adjustments and $441,100 in increments covering administrative services and state facilities rent.
Jessica Geary, Executive Director of the Legislative Affairs Agency, presented the budget and told the council the packet shows statewide salary adjustments totaling $2,327,900: health insurance ($614,300), PERS contribution rate increases ($527,600) and a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment ($1,000,186). She said those increases were included in the governor’s budget and affect almost every allocation except state facilities rent.
Geary said three allocations included increment requests beyond the salary adjustments: a $292,000 increment for administrative services to fund two new positions and off‑site package screening costs, a $42,100 increment to state facilities rent for the off‑site screening location and lease costs, and other smaller items summing to a $441,100 total increment request. The packet reported a total year‑over‑year increase from FY 2025 to FY 2026 of $2,772,000.
The council also approved, as part of the transmittal, a Select Committee on Legislative Ethics staffing request that had been approved by that committee by email: an ongoing $20,000 increment to convert a legislative secretary position to 40 hours per week, and a one‑time $90,000 increment to hire a nonpermanent employee for one year, for a combined $110,000. Ms. Geary explained the ethics committee made the request to bolster staffing in light of a heavy workload.
Senator Kiel asked how positions listed as 11‑month were being filled for 12 months without additional budget impact; Geary responded that the positions had been routinely filled for 12 months and the change shifts amounts into the vacancy adjustment rather than increasing total budget authority.
Following discussion, the council approved transmittal of the budget to the finance committees for their review and action.
