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Alaska state budget (2008-2009): Difference between revisions

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*NOTE: The figures for FY 2009 had not yet been finalized when this data was compiled.
*NOTE: The figures for FY 2009 had not yet been finalized when this data was compiled.
==Budget transparency==
===Economic stimulus transparency===
*The Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 designated $787 billion to be spent throughout the U.S.  Of that $787 billion stimulus package, it was estimated that 69%, or over $541 billion, was administered by state governments.<ref>[http://www.ntu.org/main/letters_detail.php?letter_id=664 ''National Taxpayers Union'', "A Letter to the Nation's Governors: Ensure Transparency and Accountability by Posting Stimulus Expenditures Online," March 10, 2009]</ref> 
*It was estimated that Alaska received approximately $930.7 million from the economic stimulus package.<ref name="StimulusFunds"/>
===Legislation===
At the time of this article's writing, Alaskan lawmakers had not yet passed legislation to place spending transparency online.  However, in the first week of February 2008, the Division of Finance created a new website, the '''Alaska Checkbook Online''', that discloses some aspects of Alaska state government's spending practices on an ongoing basis. The site is similar to having a [[checkbook register online]].<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18764744 National Public Radio, ''http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18764744'', February 7, 2008]</ref>
===Government tools===
Alaska Checkbook Register Online features:
* Payments to [[contracts|vendors]] and grantees who received at least one payment of $1,000 or more through the end of June 2008 are included (individual payments of less than $1,000 are not included).
* The information provided includes the name and location of the vendor or grantee, the purpose of the payment, and the state agency or department that requested the payment.
* Twenty-six different types of payments are excluded for confidentiality reasons.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://fin.admin.state.ak.us/dof/checkbook_online/resource/excl_pay.pdf Payment systems excluded based on confidentiality analysis]</ref>
The following table is helpful in evaluating the level of transparency provided by a state spending and transparency database:
{|style="width:100%" class=wikitable
|+ '''Criteria for evaluating spending databases'''
!State database!![[Criteria for evaluating databases|Searchability]]!![[Criteria for evaluating databases|Grants]]!![[Criteria for evaluating databases|Contracts]]!![[Criteria for evaluating databases|Line item expenditures]]!![[Criteria for evaluating databases|Dept./agency budgets]]!![[Criteria for evaluating databases|Public employee salary]]
|-
|align=center|[[Alaska state budget and finances|Alaska: Checkbook Online]]||{{No (Sunshine Review)}}||{{Yes (Sunshine Review)}}||{{Yes (Sunshine Review)}}||{{Yes (Sunshine Review)}}||{{No (Sunshine Review)}}||{{No (Sunshine Review)}}
|}
* Community funding databases:
Alaskans can access two online databases that allow users to search state grants, revenue sharing, and capital project funding given to Alaskan cities and towns. The Community Funding Database provides information on the year, grant type, recipient, project description and status, award amount, disbursement information and staff contact for each entry.<ref>[http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_Grants.htm Grants: Community Funding Database]</ref>
The Capital Projects Database contains descriptions, funding levels and statuses for over 16,000 capital projects in Alaska communities.<ref>[http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_RAPIDS.htm ''Capital Funding: Capital Projects Database'']</ref>
===Support for creation of the database===
Alaska's Checkbook Online was placed made available thanks to the support of Governor Palin.<ref>[http://fin.admin.state.ak.us/dof/checkbook_online/index.jsp Alaska Checkbook Online, "Overview"] ''([[timed out]])''</ref>
The original sponsor of the legislation authorizing the online spending database was Sen. Bill Wielechowski (D - Anchorage).<ref>[http://www.sitnews.us/0108news/010708/010708_statescheckbook.html ''SitNews,'' "New Legislation Would Open The State's Checkbook to Public Scrutiny," January 7, 2008]</ref>
In early 2008, Sens. Wielechowski and Ellis proposed SB 201, known as the '''Alaska Open Government Act''', that would mandate additional information be added to the Alaska Checkbook Online database.<ref>[http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0201A&session=25 ''Text of SB 201'']</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.atr.org/content/pdf/2008/feb/022008lt-ak-testimony.pdf ''Americans for Tax Reform'', "Letter endorsing SB 201," February 20, 2008]</ref>
Alaska Senate Bill 201 was supported by [[Americans for Tax Reform]] and the [[National Taxpayers Union]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.atr.org/content/pdf/2008/feb/022008lt-ak-testimony.pdf ''Americans for Tax Reform'', "Letter support SB 201," February 20, 2008]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.ntu.org/main/letters_detail.php?letter_id=573 ''National Taxpayers Union'', "An Open Letter to the Alaska Senate: Taxpayers Support Online Spending Transparency (SB 201)," March 7, 2008]</ref>


==Accounting==
==Accounting==

Revision as of 00:10, 27 April 2023

Note: This article was last updated in 2009. Click here for more recent information on state budgets and finances.


State Information


Alaska faced a $1.65 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2009 and a similar shortfall for fiscal year 2010, $1.25 billion, due to drops in oil revenue.[1][2] In early January 2009 Senate President Gary Stevens stated that the state was facing a budget deficit as large as $2 to $3 billion for FY 2010.[3]

Budget background

See also: Alaska state budget and finances

Alaska's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year, with year-end accruals made through August. Every state agency submits requests and statistics on revenue and spending to the governor; the governor in turn must submit a recommended budget to the legislature by December 15. The legislature convenes on the third Tuesday in January. Once the House and Senate approve and make any necessary changes to the budget bill, the bill is passed back to the governor. If an appropriation bill is transmitted to the governor after session, the governor has 20 days to review the bill and exercise line-item veto power.[4]

  • FY 2009's budget included $5 billion in spending from the state’s general funds, a 34 percent increase over FY 2008's budget.[5]

Budget figures

The following table provides a history of Alaska' expenditures and gross domestic product (GDP).

Fiscal year Expenditures (billions) GDP (billions)
2000 $8.5[6] $27.0[6]
2001 $9.0[6] $26.6[6]
2002 $9.4[6] $29.2[6]
2003 $9.7[6] $31.2[6]
2004 $10.0[6] $35.1[6]
2005 $10.0[6] $39.3[6]
2006 $10.8[6] $43.1[6]
2007 $11.6[6] $44.5[6]
2008 $12.5[6] $46.0[6]
2009 $13.4*[6] $47.5*[6]
  • NOTE: The figures for FY 2009 had not yet been finalized when this data was compiled.

Accounting

The Alaska State Constitution says in Section 9.14 that the State Legislature is to appoint an auditor at its pleasure, and that the auditor is responsible for performing post-audits, which are to be reported to the Legislature and Governor of Alaska.[7]

The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing audits. The Committee is composed of five members from the Senate and five members from the House of Representatives.[8]

Under the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, there is the Legislative Audit Agency. This agency performs audits that are reviewed by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee. Audits are performed by this agency in order to ensure that Alaska state administrators comply with financial regulations and adequately manage their state programs. In addition, the agency performs any special audits that are requested by legislator who sit on the Legislative and Budget and Audit Committee.[9]

The Legislative Audit Agency is headed by the Legislative Auditor.[10]

See also

  • Alaska government sector lobbying

External links

Additional reading

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska budget hole is $1.65 billion," February 4,2009
  2. ↑ Reuters, "Alaska sees $1.25 billion budget gap on oil price drop," February 19,2009
  3. ↑ Juneau Empire, "Declining oil prices leave state facing shortfall," January 21, 2009
  4. ↑ State of Alaska, "Life cycle of a budget," accessed March 25,2009
  5. ↑ Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, "A closer look at Palin’s budget cut claims," September 6,2008
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 US Government Spending, "Alaska State and Local spending," accessed March 25,2009
  7. ↑ Alaska State Constitution, Section9.14.
  8. ↑ Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, 2009-2010 Membership
  9. ↑ Alaska Division of Legislative Audit, Organization and Function
  10. ↑ Alaska Division of Legislative Audit, Organizational Chart
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