As the legislature’s budget work continues, Governor Bill Walker clarified details of the mediator he made available to help lawmakers earlier this week.
Gov. Walker: “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that at the end we have a fully funded budget, we have made available a mediator that we don’t control, we’re just making that person available he does not report to us, he does not carry a particular message at all, whatever we can do to facilitate the process is what we’re trying to do.”
In a letter, mediator Matt Peterson clarified that there is no contact between he and Governor Walker while his services are offered at $200 per hour which will be funded from the governor’s office.
Legislators are insisting a budget compromise will be reached soon and there will be no partial government shutdown for Alaska, however, municipalities are considering the possibilities.
Currently there are positions vacant at the Soldotna Emergency Call Center and Borough Mayor Mike Navarre said if the budget deal is not reached soon he’s concerned the state hiring freeze will continue.
Mayor Navarre: “If those positions remain vacant and we’re not able to hire and start getting them trained it adds additional stress during a very high traffic period on our highways and most of the dispatching or a lot of it, is a result of trooper activity so it can add stress there and that’s one area that we have a particular concern.”