Gov. Bill Walker last week released former Gov. Sean Parnell’s “work-in-progress” budget for the upcoming fiscal year, including a capital projects list that contains no Haines projects.
Funds for the Haines Borough’s dilapidated wastewater treatment plant were absent from the list, which included $10 million for water, sewer and solid waste facilities in Juneau, Homer, North Pole and Naknek.
For the past two years, the borough has applied for a $2 million state grant for its wastewater treatment plant. The project wasn’t funded last year, and the recently-released budget doesn’t bode well for the borough’s chances of securing funding this year.
However, Walker didn’t endorse the budget, but submitted it in order to meet the Dec. 15 filing deadline, according to a press release from his office.
The “work-in-progress” budget includes $219 million in unrestricted general funds for capital projects. That’s 63 percent less than last year’s $595 million. And though the capital budget is limited in Parnell’s budget, it looks like Walker’s will be even smaller.
“We will not have as many capital projects on Dec. 15 as the outgoing administration has in its proposal,” said Office of Management and Budget Director Pat Pitney. “But we anticipate changes in the amendment process. We want to carefully evaluate all capital expenditures.”
Pitney said in an interview Wednesday it doesn’t look like the borough’s wastewater treatment plant will work its way back into the budget.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a guarantee it won’t pop up on the list, but it’s highly unlikely,” she said.
Borough manager David Sosa said he was disappointed by the budget. “We have a legitimate need to improve the structure of our wastewater treatment facility,” he said.
Sosa said he is holding a staff meeting next week to review options for fixing the wastewater treatment facility, such as applying for the grant again next year or asking voters if they want to bond for it.