Budget Considerations Top UA Regents’ Agenda for Fairbanks Meeting

Submitted by Isabel Martinez
Phone: (907) 474-7015
10/30/03

Regents of the University of Alaska will meet next week in Fairbanks for a day and a half to focus on the university’s FY05 operating and capital budget requests.

Budget considerations will dominate the meeting which is to begin Wednesday evening, Nov. 5, at 7:15 p.m. in room 119 of the Tanana Valley Campus Center in downtown Fairbanks. The meeting will begin with a brief executive session which will be followed by public testimony.

Following public testimony, the board’s Finance and Audit Committee will meet from 7:45-9 p.m. Earlier in the afternoon, the Facilities and Land Management Committee will meet at TVC from 4:30-6 p.m.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the full board will begin meeting at 8 a.m. in room 109 of the Butrovich Building on the UAF campus. Public testimony is scheduled 8-9 a.m. Following public testimony, the board will take up the rest of the agenda. Adjournment is scheduled for 5 p.m.

The starting point for the operating budget discussions will be the administration’s recommendation that the university request an increase of $10.5 million in general funds and an increase of $15 million in authority to generate revenue from other sources for the FY05 operating budget.

By law, the university must request receipt authority for the revenue it generates itself and for federal and other grants. The total university budget must be authorized by the legislature regardless of the source of the funds.

Last year the university received $215.6 million in general funds and $433.9 in receipt authority for a total budget of $649.6 million. The administration’s proposed request for FY05 is $226.1 million in general funds and $433.9 million in receipt authority for a total budget of $660.1 million.

The administration’s proposed request of a $10.5 million increase in general funds represents a 4.9 percent increase over FY04. The overall proposed budget for FY05 of $660.1 million is 1.6 percent greater than the FY04 authorized budget.

The administration’s proposed capital budget request for FY05 includes $39.2 million in state funds and $135.4 million in receipt authority. Last year the university received $4.6 million in state capital funds and $46.5 million in receipt authority.

In other business, the regents will consider approval of this year’s (FY04) UA Natural Resources Fund budget. Similar to last year, the budget includes a provision for designation of $529,683 to fund land management operating costs, and $2,146,704 for the UA Scholars program.

Committee agenda items follow:

Facilities & Land Management Committee

-- Consider approval of the UAF electrical power grid interface and code upgrades project and recommendation that the project be funded with proceeds from university general revenue bonds.

-- Consider affirmation of the administration’s approval of the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology logistics facility and the UAF Department of Athletics and Recreation Title IX facility modifications project and recommendation that these projects be funded with proceeds from university general revenue bonds.

-- Consider recommendation for approval of financing plan for campus land acquisitions.

-- Review of FY05-10 capital plan and FY05 capital budget request.

Finance & Audit Committee

-- Consider authorization of general revenue bond sale.

-- Consider approval of financing plan for campus land acquisitions.

-- Receive a management update on alternative budgeting models including outcomes-based budgeting.

-- Receive management introduction of an internal accountability and sustainability task force project.

All meetings of the Board of Regents and its committees, except for executive sessions, are open to the public.

On the days of the meeting, messages may be left at (907) 474-7908 or faxed to (907) 474-6342, and the messages should indicate that they are for participants in the Board of Regents’ meeting.

Contact: Bob Miller, director of public affairs, (907) 474-6311 or bob.miller@alaska.edu.