The Fairbanks City Council began its annual process to tear through the mayor’s recommended budget on Monday. The week-long series will involve a review of all departmental budgets, revenue, and capital budgets for 2026, culminating in proposed amendments at the year’s end.

The 2026 budget is the first for newly sworn-in Mayor Mindy O’Neall and the first rollout of a target-based funding strategy.

Margarita Bell, the chief finance officer, noted that target-based budgeting sets spending limits for core services. Department heads then submit supplemental budget requests that the City Council will consider.

O’Neall’s recommended budget assumes revenue projections of $50.58 million, about $9.5 million more than the previous year; this includes $45 million in general fund sources such as ta

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