Minutes before midnight, Anchorage Assembly unanimously passes budget restoring program funding

After several hours of debate and discussion Tuesday night, the Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed the city’s operating budget.

The budget restores money for early education, police officers in schools and a roving team of crisis mental health providers.

Mayor Dave Bronson’s version of the budget, introduced in October, had originally cut city spending by 1.3%, including a chunk of funding for the School Resource Officers program. The long-running program puts Anchorage Police Department officers in Anchorage public schools.

Under the mayor’s initial proposal, the district would cover 75% of the cost, with the city picking up the rest. In prior years, it’s been more of a 50-50 split, according to Larry Baker, a consultant for the mayor’s administration.

Read more: https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/11/24/minutes-before-midnight-anchorage-assembly-unanimously-passes-budget-restoring-programs/