Untitled Document

Director, administrators present FY 2011 budget request
to Joint Appropriations and Finance Committee

ITD Director Brian Ness and administrators made the department's annual budget presentation to the Legislature’s Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee Thursday morning, requesting an FY11 budget of $579 million.

Director Ness made the 30-minute presentation. Deputy Director Scott Stokes, Chief Engineer Tom Cole, DMV Administrator Alan Frew and Division of Administration Administrator Dave Tolman also attended to help answer questions.

The legislative committee consists of members from both the House and Senate. After hearing from state agencies, the committee makes budget recommendations to each legislative chamber.

The bulk of the department’s budget request, 87 percent, would go to contract construction and highway operations and maintenance.

The department reviewed several topics with the legislative panel:

The status of the department’s revenue, FY10 budget and system;
Progress on implementing the findings of the Office of Performance Evaluation Audit through the Governor’s Executive Order;
The status of the GARVEE program;
The FY11 budget request; and
A summary of the next federal transportation legislation, and the department’s progress delivering the current stimulus program, and the potential of a second stimulus program.

After the presentation, Ness fielded questions from the committee.

“We showed we have a dedicated, hard-working staff , and as a result good things are happening at the department,” Ness said. “But I also told the committee we will always be working to be better. We are committed to being accountable for our programs, and we will be efficient and as effective as possible.”

Ness thanked the department’s employees who had a part in the budget proposal process.

“They all did a great job of helping me learn the budgeting process and preparing me to answer questions about our request and other issues,” he said.