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City budget likely to see effects of proposed state cuts

Kenai's city manager gave the city council a heads up on the budget process at last night's Kenai City Council meeting. Paul Ostrander said it's been taking up a lot of his time.

"It's difficult to get anything else done when you meet all day with budgets, but we are making good progress. It's been a it's been a more difficult year for preparing the budget primarily because we are scrutinizing every department much, much more than we had the last two years looking for specific ways that we can cut the budget," Ostrander said. "We really want to make sure that when we're done with this budget process that we have, really analyze any way that we can increase efficiencies or restructure the organization to save money."

He said that budget pressure from the state -- which is in a budget crisis -- will likely trickle down to the city at some point.

"I do anticipate that at some point it's going to require additional revenues to support the city services at the level that we that we've been providing them," he said. "So whether or not that's going to be included in the draft budget that you guys will be seen in April or not. I don't I don't know yet. But it's almost certainly coming. If not this year, then in the coming years."

Mayor Brian Gabriel said he anticipates a draft budget from city administration by the time of the council's next meeting on April 3.

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