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Homer City Council Passes 2017 Budget

Image courtesy of the city of Homer

Homer City Council spent the majority of their Dec. 5 meeting debating the 2017 proposed city budget.

The $21.6-million-dollar budget passed 5 to 1, with Council Member Smith voting against.

Most of the budget, about $12.2 million dollars, was allocated to the General Fund. The Port and Harbor Fund received nearly $4.8 million dollars and the Water Fund received $2 million dollars.

The Council passed several amendments to the proposed budget during their Dec. 5 meeting.

An amendment to the operating budget reduced the overtime budget across the General Fund by $52,318 or about 15 percent. The amendment, which passed unanimously, directs Homer City Manager Katie Koester to identify cuts to overtime budgets across departments. It also reallocates $6000 of the savings to the Homer Foundation, with the remaining funding transferred back to the City Hall Reserves.

Homer City Council approved a second amendment to the operating budget, which increases the allocation to the Health Insurance Fund by $56,667. In effect, the amendment splits the 10.4 percent increase in health insurance costs for 2017 between employees and the City of Homer.

The Council also unanimously approved an amendment to the capital budget which increased the Homer Public Works budget allocation by $10,000. The additional funding will be used to help purchase two used pick-up trucks for a total cost of $40,000.

One of the most controversial budget amendments involved proposed cuts to the Homer Public Library’s operating budget. The amendment, proposed by Council Member Stroozas, would have cut the library’s yearly budget by $65,443 or about 10 percent. It failed unanimously.

The Dec. 5 Homer City Council meeting was the final meeting of 2016. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 9.