(JUNEAU, Alaska) – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy rolled out his FY2022 budget on December 11, 2020 to the public. DOT&PF’s proposed budget takes into consideration the transportation needs of Alaskans while acknowledging the current fiscal climate. 

“The Governor’s budget exercises restraint, yet still supports those core state services and initiatives to Keep Alaska Moving,” stated Commissioner John MacKinnon. 

The highlights are:

• One-time Unrestricted General Fund (UGF) reduction utilizing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) CARES Act funds
  DOT&PF is proposing to use $14.6M of eligible FAA CARES Act funds in place of UGF, in light of the current statewide fiscal environment. This federal aid will be applied to eligible expenses within the department and will allow for the one-time UGF reduction.

• Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) - $50 million UGF Operating Budget
  The AMHS operating budget is proposed at the same level as presented by the Governor in FY2021. UGF of $50 million continues service to current port communities while limiting service gaps.  DOT&PF and AMHS continue to evaluate the Alaska Marine Highway Reshaping Working Group recommendations for implementation.

• Consolidation of the Department of Administration (DOA) leasing functions with the Division of Facility Services (DFS)
  To date, DFS has onboarded more than 75% of state facilities. Progress will continue in FY2022 with the goal of completely centralizing the bulk of state facility services, absorbing leasing, and space management functions, as well as public building fund management from DOA. The aim is to find maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness while bringing the specialized talent for this task into one state agency.

• Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Capital Budget
  Over $10M of increased state matching funds is proposed to leverage additional federal dollars for the STP and AIP capital programs.  This translates into additional projects which, in turn, provide additional jobs to urban and rural Alaska.

• Statewide Equipment Fleet (SEF) modernization
  The department proposed additional capital authority for SEF modernization, which will result in reduced operating costs. The results of an ongoing fleet analysis study by Mercury Associates are forthcoming. That analysis, soon to be completed, is anticipated to provide direction on improved management and long-term planning for DOT&PF’s statewide equipment fleet when procuring, maintaining, and disposing of maintenance & operations (M&O) assets.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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