Alaska state budget
From Sunshine Review
Alaska currently has partial transparency, because of its Checkbook Register Online.
Alaska's budget is administered by the Division of Finance, which is part of the state's Department of Administration. The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, with year-end accruals made through August.
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News
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Legislation
Alaskan lawmakers have 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 the Alaska state government's spending practices on an ongoing basis. The site is similar to having a checkbook register online.[1]
Government tools
Alaska Checkbook Register Online features:
- Payments to vendors and grantees who received at least one payment of $1,000 or more in the current fiscal year 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.[2]
The following table is helpful in evaluating the level of transparency provided by a state spending and transparency database:
| State Database | Searchability | Grants | Contracts | Line Item Expenditures | Dept/Agency Budgets | Public Employee Salary | Exemption Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Checkbook Online | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Limitations and Suggestions for Improvements
Additional sources of information
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.[3]
The Capital Projects Database contains descriptions, funding levels, and status for over 16,000 capital projects in Alaska communities.[4]
Support for creation of the database
Alaska's Checkbook Online was placed made available thanks to the support of Governor Palin.[5]
The original sponsor of the legislation authorizing the online spending database was Sen. Bill Wielechowski (D - Anchorage).[6]
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.[7],[8]
Alaska Senate Bill 201 was supported by Americans for Tax Reform[9] and the National Taxpayers Union.[10]
Independent transparency sites
None.
Public employee salary information
None. Alaska Checkbook Online does not feature state employee salaries.
External links
- Institute of the North
- Alaska Checkbook Online, official website
- Division of Finance, Alaskan government
- State budget surpluses could dry up
- The Alaska Citizen's Guide to the Budget
References
- ↑ National Public Radio, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18764744, February 7, 2008
- ↑ Payment systems excluded based on confidentiality analysis
- ↑ Grants: Community Funding Database
- ↑ Capital Funding: Capital Projects Database
- ↑ Alaska Checkbook Online, "Overview"
- ↑ SitNews, "New Legislation Would Open The State's Checkbook to Public Scrutiny," January 7, 2008
- ↑ Text of SB 201
- ↑ Americans for Tax Reform, "Letter endorsing SB 201," February 20, 2008
- ↑ Americans for Tax Reform, "Letter support SB 201," February 20, 2008
- ↑ National Taxpayers Union, "An Open Letter to the Alaska Senate: Taxpayers Support Online Spending Transparency (SB 201)," March 7, 2008
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