The Haines Borough Assembly took $65,000 originally earmarked for the area’s nonprofit organizations out of limbo, and approved the appropriations Tuesday.
That reverses a 4-3 decision on Aug. 23 to table that appropriation decision for at least three months. Concerns about the borough’s $450,000 deficit prompted the decision to table the appropriations.
“Taxpayers I’ve talked to … they’re genuinely concerned about the borough donating to nonprofits when they don’t have any say where it goes,” said assembly member Diana Lapham.
Assembly member Mike Case asked for a reconsideration Tuesday of the Aug. 23 vote due to technical parliamentary reasons. The assembly voted 5-1 – with George Campbell dissenting – to go ahead with the appropriations to be set aside, from which nonprofits are seeking the money. The $65,000 appropriation breaks down to $32,500 from the general fund, $17,500 from the tourism and economic development fund, and $15,000 from the medical service area fund.
Assembly member Margaret Friedenauer said the assembly budgeted the $65,000 for the nonprofits earlier this year, signaling that the cash would be available to the nonprofit groups. Case added: “We let them know this money should be available.” Assembly members also said nonprofits provide services that the borough does not have the resources to tackle. Campbell asked Mayor Jan Hill to rule whether Friedenauer had a conflict of interest because she works for a nonprofit group. Friedenauer said neither the nonprofit she is working for (Southeast Alaska Conservation Council) nor the one she will move to next week (Lynn Canal Broadcasting) is requesting money from the $65,000. Hill decided no conflict of interest existed.
Assembly members wondered if appropriations should be set aside for nonprofits in the 2017 budget if the deficit situation continues. “It’s not to be assumed that (nonprofit allocations) will be available every flippin’ year,” Lapham said.