Gov. Sean Parnell signed the budget for the coming year this afternoon. The operating and capital budgets combined amounted to $11.4 billion. Parnell vetoed $412 million worth of projects that had been approved by the legislature, citing declining oil production and a poor economic climate as reasons for slashing the budget.

Unalaska escaped those cuts entirely. The city will be receiving $4 million from the state for a new wastewater treatment plant and $3.1 million for a water treatment plant. Last year, the governor had cut funding for the wastewater treatment plant. Additionally, the city will also be receiving $25.7 million in federal funds for the airport repaving project.

Other communities in District 37 were not so lucky. Akutan and Sand Point were each expecting about $70,000 for upgrades to their schools, and Saint Paul had requested almost $700,000 for its harbor master office. All of these projects were cut. The biggest cut Parnell made in District 37 was a veto of $2 million for the expansion of the Bristol Bay Area Health Center.

Overall, the capital budget includes $76 million for the Aleutian and Bristol Bay regions, with $72.5 million going to infrastructure, $3.5 million going to health and public safety, and the remaining $150,000 going toward education.