Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA -- The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly laid its annual wish list before state legislators Monday, and was told it was asking for too much.

The breakdown is intimidating -- $169 million worth of requests, from a $35 million state match for a batch of local road projects voters approved, to $15 million for improvements on Lucille Street in Wasilla.

And that's just the transportation side. In addition, the borough wants $35 million for ferry landings for its Anchorage-to-Port MacKenzie ferry, $19 million for the ski area at Hatcher Pass, $7 million for a science center at Palmer Hay Flats and $2 million to buy agricultural rights on Valley farmland.

"This is quite a document that you gave us here," Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, said when state legislators and Assembly members gathered at the Wasilla Legislative Information Office to talk about the upcoming legislative session.

Gatto said he wanted a prioritized funding list, with the biggest desires clearly marked. With low oil prices, he said, the state economic picture is looking grim this year.

"We're spending $78 (per barrel) oil and we're only selling $40 (per barrel) oil. We could find ourselves in quite a bind here," he said.

Assemblymember Cindy Bettine turned the question around, asking legislators to outline the projects they planned to work hardest to fund.

For some, like Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, the list matched that of the Assembly -- roads and schools. Others, such as Gatto, were working on their own projects. Gatto said he hoped to secure all the funding needed to build a new senior center in Palmer, a $7 million project for which $4.7 million in public and private funding has already been secured.

Sen. Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla, said he wants to push for funding for construction of a large Boy Scout camp north of Trapper Creek, which he said could be a beneficial project for youth and also drive tourism in the area. Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake, said he wants to see an outdoor education area and more opportunities for vocational education for high school students who live north of Wasilla.

Senator-elect Linda Menard, R-Wasilla, seated next to her husband, Mat-Su Mayor Curt Menard at the meeting, played her priorities close to the vest.

"I have some pet projects. As I prefile them ... I'm sure the newspaper will write about them," she said.

Find Daily News reporter Rindi White online at www.adn.com/contact/rwhite or call 352-6709.

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