Blog: Dermot Cole
Legislators trim UA funding request
Published Friday, April 24, 2009
•The Legislature approved a $12.9 million increase for the University of Alaska for the next fiscal year, but it's not enough to keep up with inflation and other factors that push up prices.
Add those to the calculation and the appropriation translates into a budget hit of nearly $5 million, says Pete Kelly, the UA lobbyist.
Kelly offers this report in a memo distributed today:
The main issue this year was the FY10 operating budget, for which the University of Alaska system received a $12.9 million increase - 4.1 percent over the current fiscal year.
The proposed budget is $14.7 million less than the Board of Regents’ request and $2.2 million less than the Governor’s submitted budget.
This level of state general fund support represents a $4.7 million shortfall to our fixed costs. The university president, chancellors and ultimately the board will discuss in the days and weeks ahead how best to address this shortfall.
The budget included $922,000 to support UA’s health training programs and $950,000 for energy related programs.
The capital budget included $3.2 million to address maintaining existing facilities, also known as the annual renewal and renovation (R & R) requirement. The board had requested $50 million for this category of maintenance.
A distribution plan for the capital funds received will be discussed in the days ahead. No funds for the board’s top priorities for new construction, including the UAF Life Sciences Innovation and Learning Facility, the UAS Auke Lake Way Campus Entry Improvements and Road Realignment, or funds to complete the under-way UAA Sports Arena were included."
Post a comment