JUNEAU — Mayors across Alaska are asking the Legislature to solve the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit during next month’s special session.
The Juneau Empire reports that the Alaska Municipal League and Alaska Conference of Mayors wrote the state Legislature on Wednesday asking for progress. This is the third year in a row that the mayors have pleaded to state officials about the deficit.
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Karl Kassel said the mayors know that if the Legislature doesn’t act, costs will be passed to their cities and boroughs. They, in return, will have to pass those costs via property taxes and sales taxes to residents.
Kassel said this has already happened in some areas, particularly school debt reimbursement.
