MIKE DUNLEAVY

Voters asked City Council hopefuls Darin Nicholson and Dave Gregory about Unalaska's housing, budget, and more during last week's Candidates Forum.

Unalaska needs to be ready to fight for state funding in fiscal year 2021.

City lobbyist Dianne Blumer delivered that message Tuesday to the City Council.

She said she expects Gov. Mike Dunleavy to continue pushing for steep budget cuts to education, health care, and other state services that are critical to the community.

"It's not a promising picture," said Blumer. "I hate to be the gloom and doom here, but I anticipate the cuts that didn't happen this year are going to be taken up again for next session."

Continued ferry service and shared fisheries taxes.

These are some of the new lobbying priorities under consideration as the Unalaska City Council prepares for meetings next month with its state and federal lobbyists.

Unalaska and the Aleutian region are expecting to feel the sting of state budget cuts finalized this week — in areas ranging from health care and higher education to debt reimbursement and public broadcasting.