The Haines Borough manager’s budget is out. It covers dozens of borough employees, roads, and utilities. We spoke with Borough Manager Annette Kreitzer about what’s in the document.
The focus of the 2024 Haines Borough Budget is infrastructure, according to Borough Manager, Annette Kreitzer. Among other things, the borough is responsible for 19 miles of roads, 25 miles of underground water pipes, 168 hydrants, and 16 facilities, ranging from the Chilkat Center to the Public Safety building. Its employee directory lists more than sixty people. Kreitzer says all of that is taken into consideration.
Kreitzer: “We walk through with department heads what they see as the biggest needs in their department, not just looking at last year’s budget and adding a percentage, but truly going through the staffing, going through increased utility cost, shipping cost, training. You are looking back at what has happened in the current fiscal year and then trying to figure out what will that look like next year.”
There is no allocation for nonprofits in the budget. The government affairs committee is now in charge of evaluating that funding.
Kreitzer: “This year I have not included any of the nonprofits in the budget. The nonprofits and the Haines Economic Development Corporation will go through the Government Affairs Committee with their requests.”
Kreitzer says several borough assembly members on the GAS committee are evaluating the request, which she says is a more transparent system.
Kreitzer: “It doesn’t reflect any lack of support on my part for the nonprofit requests or HEDC’s requests, it’s more about vetting those things more publicly.”
The Borough Assembly has adopted a schedule to review the budget bit by bit. The capital improvement projects list will be reviewed by the Planning Commission, then by the Finance Committee. The schedule also includes public hearings.
Kreitzer estimates the cost of operating the Haines Borough is about $12 million per year.
The budget has to be approved by June 1st.
