Budget update: Feb. 10, 2021

February 10, 2021

Tori Tragis

— 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 . 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. 

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