The Executive Budget recommends:

No change in the size of the 128 FTE workforce.

No change in the adjusted personal service appropriation, which reflects the payment of contractual increases for SFY2000-01, in the Administration program. It is unclear why this year’s personal service appropriation does not reflect the cost of contractual increases in SFY2001-02 and why last year’s adjusted appropriation of $884,000 for personal service is 30.7% higher than the enacted appropriation; significantly greater than what was necessary to pay contractual increases. It is particularly unusual since there was no increase in FTEs in SFY2000-01 and no FTE increase projected for SFY2001-02. According to the Executive Budget Appendix 1 the only "real" increase in the Administration program is a $29,0000 increase in the non-personal service appropriation for contractual services. The Executive Budget does not state what this increased appropriation will fund.

Only a $43,700 increase in the adjusted personal service appropriation, which reflects the payment of contractual increases for SFY2000-01, for the Veteran Counseling Services program, less than a 1% increase. It is unclear why this appropriation does not reflect a 3.5% increase from the adjusted SFY2000-01 personal service appropriation for this program in order to pay contractual increases for SFY 2001-02. There is a "real" $179,000 increase in the non-personal service appropriation for this program, which is completely dedicated for contractual services. The Executive Budget does not state what this increased appropriation will fund.

A $65,000 maintenance undistributed appropriation for the Veteran Counseling Services program, which is to pay expenses to support the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial ($15,000) and for additional services and expenses of training veterans’ counselors and field counseling staff.

A $1.2 million Special Revenue-Federal appropriation for the Higher Education program. According to the Executive Budget Appendix 1 this represents an $18,000 decrease from the adjusted SFY2001-01 personal service appropriation. Since there is no decrease in the 13 FTEs that work in this program it is unclear how this appropriation supports contractual increases for SFY2001-02. This program also has a $73,000 increased appropriation for non-personal services. This is unusual since non-personal service appropriations generally decrease when personal service appropriations decrease. The Executive Budget does not state what this increased non-personal service appropriation will fund, but we suspect it is for contractual services.