The Skagway Borough Assembly continued to revise the FY2025 budget during its meeting on Nov. 21. Much of the discussion centered on how to best serve seniors and whether spending money to improve the general population’s quality of life was worth putting less money into savings.
So far, Skagway’s budget for the next fiscal year has a deficit of $1.3 million. The assembly closed the gap by deciding to nix a $500,000 street sweeper. They then added a $45,000 full-time recreation center position, who will direct senior activities. It was a win, but not quite the boon some were hoping for.
Ryan Mandeville is just one resident who has been advocating for a full-time administrative position in the municipality to focus solely on seniors. He thinks such a position will help with grants and coordination of services. He asked the assembly at last Thursday’s meeting how aware they are of the seniors’ needs.
“How soon did you know that Catholic Senior Services stopped providing meals on April 15, 2024?” Mandeville said. “And did you know they did not resume until October of 2024? … Are any of you concerned that this next week there will be no meals? For three weeks over Christmas break, there are no meals.”
Mandeville is referring to senior meals, once prepared by Southeast Senior Services, but now cooked by Skagway School. The school supplies fifteen meals, two times a week, that Southeast Senior Service serves at the Presbyterian Church. In the recent past, as many as 30-40 seniors participated in the lunch program four times a week.
Mandeville said he encourages the seniors to advocate for themselves, but many of them don’t.
“And 17 years in, I understand why their voices haven’t been heard and how they’ve just given up and been satisfied with this is good enough until I die,” Mandeville said. “…I hope that we don’t continue to allow them to say that this is just good enough until they’re dead.”
The new full-time recreation center position replaces a part-time, seasonal position.
Assembly member Kate Kolodi said she was happy to see the job, often called the senior activities coordinator, continue.
“I do hear the public’s request for more of an admin position, and I think that is a great idea,” she said. “I feel like building a more robust senior program with those aspects is not something that can be done in two weeks. I would still love for our seniors to have access to activities. So I think both, both things can happen. …the job that has already been established will continue to be established. And then I would support HEW sitting down, or whatever committee is being tasked, to building a more robust senior program.”
HEW is the municipality’s Health Education and Welfare Committee.
The assembly also added $150,000 from sales tax to the budget for trail design of seven miles of new trail between the rifle range and the Chilkoot Trail head. The multi-use trail would connect Skagway to Dyea, bypassing the state road.
After discussing if the municipality should tighten its belt or invest in infrastructure, four assembly members voted yes on the trail project. Assembly members Jonathan Hillis and Orion Hanson voted no. Assembly member Dan Henry said the trail would lessen the seasonal stress on the Dyea Road and improve quality of life.
“This would be something that probably into 2026 possibly 2027 before it’s brought to fruition,” Henry said. “And we all know the volume that we have experienced the last two seasons, and a lot of that continues to go out towards Dyea. So this is not only a safety concern that’s being addressed but gives a fantastic byproduct to the community of Skagway.”
Hanson made a motion to strike the $850,000 utilities planning project for Garden City RV Park in an effort to balance the budget. The goal of the project is to design sidewalks and curbs and plan how to bring water and sewer to the property line of each empty lot. It would also map out alleys and 16th Street. Every assembly member except Hanson voted no to cutting the project. Hillis recused himself from the vote.
Assembly member Alex Weddell said housing was more important than a net zero budget.
“I also take my fiduciary responsibility very seriously when it comes to public funds,” she said. “However, I am not in support of removing this from the budget. I’ve been listening to the community speak for quite some time about the need for housing.”
While the assembly hasn’t overcome the budget deficit, Borough Manager Brad Ryan said Skagway’s finances are solid.
“We’re looking in really good shape,” he said.
He estimates a combined sales tax and excise tax balance of $13 million by the end of FY25.
In other borough news, Skagway is starting its pre-design project for Main Street reconstruction. The roadway, sidewalks and underground utilities of the secondary street are all in need of upgrades. Accessibility needs will also be addressed. The upgrades are estimated to cost $38 million.
A virtual public meeting is scheduled for Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. Feedback from the project will be used to apply for grant funding. Project exhibits are on display at AB Hall.
A mailer that went out to residents shows one possible plan, with the existing sidewalk on the west side, parking lanes on both sides and a seasonal bike lane/snow storage on the east side.
This story has been corrected to reflect Assembly member Jonathan Hillis and Orion Hanson’s no vote on the budget amendment for the Skagway to Dyea trail.
