Legislature reduces UA capital budget items
April 14, 2015
UA associate vice president
The legislature's conference committee on the operating budget started reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions and plans to finish its work by April 17 . The Senate passed a capital budget on April 11, and the House Finance Committee started worked on the capital budget on April 13.
Gov. Bill Walker sent a very small capital budget to the legislature. It contained only $158 million in unrestricted general funds, and $16 million of that total was proposed for the university: $8 million for deferred maintenance, and $8 million (of the $31 million needed) to continue construction of the new UAF engineering building. The Senate reduced this capital budget dramatically, to only $113 million. This is the smallest capital budget since 2001. It now contains only one item for the university: $3 million for deferred maintenance. The remaining $5 million for deferred maintenance recommended by the governor, as well as all $8 million proposed by the governor for the UAF engineering building, were removed.
Read the full report in the Statewide Voice.