FY27 Operating Budget

At a glance

• What: The city operating budget for fiscal year 2027 (Ordinance 2026-01(b)) and the 2026 property tax mill rates (Ordinance 2026-03), both required by charter before June 15.
• Where it stands: Both adopted by unanimous consent on June 8, 2026, after amendments on assembly stipends and marine passenger fees failed. Museum funding is tracked separately.
• Next: FY28 budget work, including the bond referrals and the structural deficit.

Numbers

• Appropriates $545,829,100 in expenditure authority (excluding the School District); recognizes $525,218,000 of forecast revenue and transfers in; draws fund balances down by $20,611,100.
• Mill rates (Ordinance 2026-03): total 9.92 mills, down 0.32. Areawide 6.24 (down 0.16), Roaded Service Area 2.45 (flat), Fire Service Area 0.31 (flat), Debt Service 0.92 (down 0.16). Mr. Steininger moved adoption; no comment.
• Timeline: introduced April 1, public comment April 29, Assembly Finance Committee referral May 20, 2026.

Public testimony

Most speakers addressed the City Museum (see City Museum Funding). Carlos Cadiente recommended a 5% cut for all departments, a hiring freeze and privatizing fire department EMS. Dan Cannon urged a Gross Smelter Return tax tied to a Juneau Permanent Fund and asked for a special public meeting. Ben McIntyre-Coble raised the school district's Verkada contract. Carol Bookless urged postponing the Telephone Hill demolition to protect services.

Debate and votes

Ms. Woll moved adoption and said the Assembly had canceled about $5 million in projects, found $2.4 million in new revenue and $4 million in efficiencies, roughly halving a $14 million structural deficit.

• Amendment 1 (Mr. Brooks): cut assembly member expenditures $12,000 by forgoing his own FY27 stipend. Failed 2-7 (yes: Brooks, Hughes-Skandijs). Mr. Kelly noted a vacancy mid-year would leave a successor unpaid; Mr. Steininger worried about pressure on members who need the stipend; Ms. Woll said the stipend makes service accessible to hourly workers and parents.
• Amendment 3 (Ms. Hughes-Skandijs): shift $360,000 of marine passenger fees from security and restroom costs at the AJ Dock and Franklin Dock to the seawalk expansion project. She said private docks were meant to pay their own costs. Attorney Wright said the CLIA lawsuit settlement lists private dock security as permitted and a change could draw a suit, though no notice had been received. Failed 4-5 (yes: Hughes-Skandijs, Adkison, Kelly, Woll; no: Hall, Brooks, Steininger, Smith, Weldon).
• Deputy Mayor Smith moved to extend the meeting to 10:30 p.m. (unanimous consent). Main motion adopted by unanimous consent.

Sources

• Assembly regular meeting minutes (Meeting 2026-12), June 8, 2026: https://juneauak.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=13131,plainText=false)

Log

2026-06-08 - Regular Assembly Meeting

Budget and mill rate ordinances adopted; adjourned 10:26 p.m.