The Nome Common Council discussed the city’s annual budget amendments for fiscal year 2022 at its Feb. 14 meeting. These are the mid-year amendments, since the City of Nome operates on a fiscal calendar that begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.
While most of the budget amendments were relatively minor, the projected sales tax revenue saw a significant jump from $5.5 million to $6 million. The increase is due to economic recovery after 2020, City Manager Glenn Steckman explained.
“When you look at FY 21 actuals, (the city) actually collected $5.9 million,” Steckman said.
On the expenses side, the Nome Police Department’s officer overtime budget nearly doubled, going from $70,000 to $120,000. The NPD dispatcher overtime budget more than doubled, going from $15,000 to $40,000. There are multiple factors at play, Steckman said.
“They’re short on people. Plus we’ve had people go down with COVID,” Steckman said.
The council will hold a final vote on the budget amendments at its next regular meeting.
In other business, the council authorized a $14,000 expenditure for NPD to pursue accreditation. The Nome Public Safety Advisory Commission is strongly in favor of accreditation for NPD, Steckman said.
The council also voted to authorize the city manager to contract with Anchorage-based engineering firm RSA Engineering to design upgrades to the heating and ventilation systems in City Hall and the Nome Recreation Center.
The Nome Common Council will meet next for a work session at 6 p.m. on Feb. 22. The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28.
Image at top: The Nome Common Council meets on Feb. 14. Image captured from meeting livestream.
