Budget update: Feb. 10, 2021
February 10, 2021
— by Dan White, chancellor
The Legislature is back in session and will begin looking at UA legislative priorities
in the coming weeks. President Pitney meets with the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday,
along with leaders in the House and Senate, as a start to these discussions. The president's
meetings are timely as Gov. Dunleavy introduced a $356 million infrastructure bond package that includes the University of Alaska. This type of state bond, a general obligation bond, or GO bond, would not increase
UA debt, as the state would be responsible for debt payments. A GO bond is subject
to a statewide vote before it would be enacted. We are just at the first step in the
process, and UA is refining a project list for consideration in the bond package.
President Pitney continues to work in Juneau toward a capital allocation that would
provide much-needed deferred maintenance funds and recovery of a portion of UA’s debt
service payments that were cut from our allocation some years ago.
In other budget news, the Board of Regents will hold subcommittee meetings next week
on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 18 and 19, prior to the full board meeting taking place
on Feb. 25 and 26. On Feb. 18, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and the
Facilities and Land Management Committee will meet. The Audit and Finance Committee
will meet on Feb. 19 from 9-11 a.m. The committee meeting schedule with agenda topics
will be released by the BOR later this week, with a release of the full BOR agenda
the following week.
During the full board meeting (Feb. 25 and 26), President Pitney will provide a financial
briefing.
I will continue to post budget columns as new information is presented and we have
news to share from this legislative session.
Thank you for choosing UAF.