​​​​​​​​​​​​Focus on Budget & Taxes​

​The Municipality of Anchorage budget is a reflection of the values, vision and priorities of our community. Residents have a vital voice to give feedback and input on what they want to see in the budget. The approval of the municipal budget affects everyone – from the number of books on the shelves at libraries, playgrounds in our parks, and immunizations provided at health clinics, to the quality of the roads we drive on and the response times of emergency services, there are few things in our daily lives that aren't impacted by the municipal budget. Be part of the conversation. Learn how the current budget impacts you, participate in future budget planning processes and understand how taxes are used to make government work for you.



Get the Facts: Budget​

The Municipality of Anchorage operating budget provides for local services like fire, police, parks, libraries, roads, building permits and health, as well as utilities and enterprises like the Port of Alaska, Merrill Field Airport, AWWU and Solid Waste Services. 

The Municipality's capital improvement budget and capital improvement plan consist of capital projects for the upcoming fiscal year and for the next six fiscal years and identify funding sources such as future bond propositions and state and federal funding requests. 

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​Get the Facts: Taxes

​​Each year, the Municipality of Anchorage collects property taxes from homeowners and commercial entities, and in return, those taxes fund local services like fire and police, schools, parks, libraries, roads, and health services. 

Property taxes​ account for about half of the revenue needed to fund the Municipality’s operations. Other sources of funding include non-property taxes such as room, auto, tobacco, and alcohol ​taxes as well as investment revenue, fees and permits, and federal and state contributions.




2024 Budget Process and Timeline

Every fall, OMB submits the mayor's budget to the Assembly, typically around the first of October (the legal requirement is 90-days before the end of the year). After that, the Assembly holds two worksessions in October to hear from municipal departments and the utilities and enterprises on their budgets and one worksession in November to discuss possible budget amendments. Public hearings on the budget are held in October and November and the budget is typically approved at the last Assembly meeting in November. From there, the budget is implimented by the Administration beginning January 1.

The process is repeated on a smaller scale each April in what is called the 1st Quarter Budget Revision. This gives the municipality a chance to see where the previous year’s revenue and expenses actually fell and make adjustments as needed, since the budget is based on projections from the previous fall. 



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All Abo​ut Bond Propositions

Bonds are a way for a community to take on debt to invest in what voters value most. The Regular Municipal Election is an annual opportunity for proposed bonds, or bond propositions,​ to appear on the ballot in front of qualified registered voters.

Historically, bonds have paid for improvements to Anchorage schools, roads, parks, trails and public safety services. Departments and community organizations submit bond propositions to the Anchorage Assembly. After the Assembly hears public testimony on the bond propositions, the body considers whether or not the proposition will be added to the upcoming Municipal Election ballot.​

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Taxes on Alcohol & Marijuana

Approved by Anchorage voters, taxes on alcohol and marijuana sales are dedicated to specific public investments.​ These taxes are working upstream to improve our community's quality of life through investments in family services and public safety. 

Alcohol Tax | Reimagine Anchorage
Marijuana Tax | Care for Kids

​​Alcohol Tax: Reim​age Anchorage​

​Before Anchorage voters passed the alcohol tax in 2020, municipal and state services for violence prevention, homelessness, mental health, and public safety were at a breaking point. Community members demanded effective local solutions, with a steady funding stream for programs to prevent and address the problems associated with substance misuse and the municipality’s lack of m​ental and behavioral health services. With the approval of Proposition 13 in April 2020, authorizing a 5% sales tax on the retail sales of alcoholic beverages, our city has made a commitment to try a new approach for how our community responds to the emergencies today, and how it commits to long-term well-being of future generations in Anchorage. ​

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As the alcohol tax establishes transparent programs that honor the vision voters supported in approving the tax, the Anchorage Assembly funded an education campaign and strategic planning process for alcohol tax investments. To learn more about programs funded by the alcohol tax, visit reimagineanchorage.org​. ​​


Marijuana Tax: Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund (ACCEE Fund)​​​

In April of 2023, Proposition 14 – the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund (ACCEE Fund) – passed with strong support from Anchorage voters. Propositio​n 14 dedicates the Municipality of Anchorage's marijuana tax revenue to child care and early childhood education. The funds will start accumulating in January of 2024, with an estimated five million dollars available annually. The ACCEE Fund can be spent creating access to child care and early education programs; supporting reading programs; supporting child care or early education provider training, professional development, staffing, and/or livable wages; or funding facilities. ​


To ensure these funds are used effectively, a private and public partnership between the Municipality of Anchorage and the Alaska Children's Trust was formed and has established an Implementation Team comprised of three Assembly Members, staff from the Anchorage Health Department, a School Board Member, representatives from Head Start, thread Alaska, JBER, community leaders, child care and early education providers, the business community and parents. To learn more about the Implementation Team's timeline and deliverables, read AR 2023-404, As Amended, passed by the Anchorage Assembly on November 21, 2023.​

 

The Implementation Team wants to hear from you! To learn more about upcoming events, provide feedback, or contact the team, visit www.careforkidsanchorage.com. 

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Participate


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Budget & Finance Committee
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​Guide to Testimony
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Office of Management & Budget​



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​​907-343-4311 PO Box 196650, Anchorage, AK 99519-6650​​​

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