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UDOT details FY27 base budget, proposes tramway fee increases and seeks $20M for aeronautics hangar
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Summary
UDOT briefed lawmakers on the FY27 base bill structure and capital funds, proposed fee increases primarily in the Tramway program, and requested $20 million from the aeronautics restricted account toward a $41.5 million Salt Lake hangar; the agency warned cutting broadband funding would jeopardize federal grant administration.
UDOT senior staff and the Legislative Fiscal Analyst outlined the department’s FY27 base budget, funding flows and a set of fee and reduction proposals during a joint subcommittee hearing.
Rachel Bowe, senior financial analyst with the Legislative Fiscal Analyst office, said UDOT’s main operating and capital funding sources in the base bill include designated sales tax (about $1.3 billion), the transportation fund (about $987 million) and federal funds (about $754.8 million); general‑fund support is comparatively small. Bowe also presented 15 proposed fee changes concentrated in the Tramway (ski lift) registration program, noting the package’s estimated revenue increase shown in agency materials.
UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras told the committee the department is managing an asset base valued in the tens of billions and emphasized preservation: “good roads cost less,” he said during the briefing. Braceras and deputies outlined requests for transfers and one‑time investments: business‑system modernization and related FTEs to support project delivery, a $1.3 million one‑time purchase of additional truck‑mounted attenuators for roadside safety, and a fiber‑operations staffing request to better manage UDOT’s 3,600 miles of fiber.
On aeronautics, UDOT described a multi‑agency airport hangar project with a current estimate of $41.5 million; UDOT requested $20 million from the aeronautics restricted account this year to finish design and begin construction, with additional requests expected in future sessions as the project proceeds. UDOT cautioned that cutting the broadband‑center appropriation would undermine capacity to administer both state and large federal broadband grants.
Where it stands: LFA presented a menu of options to reach a 5% general‑fund reduction target for subcommittee consideration; UDOT agreed with some swaps but opposed cuts that would remove broadband‑center or other core capabilities. Committee members asked for follow‑up detail on local impacts and quantities for specific fees (for example, gondola cabin categories). No formal appropriation votes were taken at the hearing.
