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Seldovia presents balanced FY26 draft budget, reestablishes library and reallocates multipurpose building costs
Summary
City Manager Heidi presented the FY26 draft budget April 29, saying the plan is balanced and proposes closing a multipurpose-building department to reestablish discrete library and Seldovia-space line items so the city can better track shared-service costs and support grant applications.
City Manager Heidi presented the Seldovia FY26 draft budget at an April 29 work session, describing a generally balanced plan that shifts several shared-service costs out of a longstanding “multipurpose building” account and into separate line items for the library and Seldovia space.
Heidi said the draft uses projected FY26 revenues (rather than FY24 actuals) and that the city expects revenues to remain roughly flat overall; she cautioned the state’s community assistance payment (formerly state revenue sharing) will be smaller next year. “We can expect $53,260,” Heidi said of the Department of Community, Commerce, and Economic Development estimate, noting that amount is roughly $25,000 less than the city received in recent years.
Council members pressed for clarity on how the multipurpose building’s shared utilities and in‑kind services would be divided. Heidi described an allocation method based on approximate square footage and usage — for example, a 20% allocation for the library and separate shares for police and EMS — and said the change is intended to improve accounting and to help departments that apply for outside funding. “It helps those programs…when they go for funding to say we, the city, put in $13,000 a year in match,” she said, referring to the library’s in‑kind contribution.
The budget includes a 2.9% cost-of-living adjustment for employees, a 10% rise in general-liability insurance and a 4.5% rise in health‑insurance costs. Heidi said the city shifted some water and sewer costs back into the general fund to more accurately reflect staff time and to reduce pressure on those enterprise funds.
Heidi also highlighted reserve targets: the two‑month general‑fund target is $146,626, while total assigned and committed balances the council tracks were noted separately so the council can weigh unassigned funds against ongoing obligations.
Heidi invited council comment on cuts or changes and said the administration will bring updated figures before the planned introduction on May 12 and the public hearing and adoption process slated for later this spring.
The council did not take formal action at the session; Heidi will return with updated numbers and follow‑up on items the council flagged, including lift‑station funding and crane maintenance for the dock.
