Cost-cutting by the City and Borough of Juneau could mean closing several public facilities.
On the chopping block are the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, Mt. Jumbo Gym in Douglas and Eagle Valley Center. The cuts and efficiencies were presented Wednesday to the Juneau Assembly’s finance committee by City Manager Rorie Watt.
“We have a $1.9 million deficit between our revenues and projected expenditures,” Watt said. “We’ve suggested to the Assembly that we use $1.4 million on our fund balance savings and half a million in reductions.”
Closing the museum located next to the state capitol would save $228,000 in the first fiscal year. A projected annual savings would increase to about $375,000.
City Library Director Robert Barr whose office oversees the museum, said he hopes the Juneau Assembly will spare the museum.
“We believe that everything that we do provides value and is worthwhile to the community at large,” Barr said Thursday. “We of course recognize that it’s a tightening budget time and decisions will have to get made somewhere but we’d prefer it not be elimination of the museum.”
It’s still early in the budgeting process and the city manager’s proposed cuts are not a done deal.
The choice of the city museum stems from its low ranking in budgeting focus groups attended by about 90 volunteers.
Watt said it will ultimately be up to elected Assembly members to address the $1.9 million deficit.
“They could decide to use more or less savings,” he said. “They could decide to raise revenue and they could increase the cuts — it’s all on the table.”
The finance committee will continue to meet weekly through mid-May and is accepting public comment.
The city is scheduled to adopt next year’s budget in June.
