Smithsonian Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Budget Request Totals $716.4 Million

February 6, 2008
News Release
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The administration's FY 2009 budget request to Congress is $716.4 million, an increase from the $682.6 million appropriated to the Institution in FY 2008. The Salaries and Expenses budget request for FY 2009 is $588.4 million and the Facilities Capital budget is $128 million.

The FY 2008 appropriation also included a provision for $15 million in a Legacy Fund established at the request of Sen. Dianne Feinstein that would be available once the Smithsonian raised $30 million. The Legacy Fund would be used for facilities' renovation projects at the Institution.

Salaries and Expenses
The Salaries and Expenses account covers the mandated federal pay raise, rents and utilities, salaries and benefits, utilities, travel, routine maintenance, security and other operating expenses. This year, the Smithsonian requested an additional $11 million to partially cover mandatory salary increases and related costs, such as workers' compensation, and an additional $5.5 million for utilities, rent and communications. Maintenance funds are part of the Salaries and Expenses account; and this year, the Institution requested an increase of $16.8 million to take care of current and deferred maintenance.

An increase of $2 million has been requested to add 40 security guard positions for the Smithsonian's Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture and National Museum of the American Indian and to continue improving the employee and contractor security screening for Smithsonian facilities outside Washington.

These increases are partially offset by an $11 million reduction to the federal base funding for the Institution's public programs, exhibitions and research. The Smithsonian will seek to raise private funds to compensate for this reduction.

Facilities Capital
Most of the Facilities Capital funds for FY 2009 are directed toward revitalization— essentially the repair or replacement of building systems that have been delayed for many years. Among the major projects scheduled this year are National Museum of Natural History ($25.7 million for heating, ventilation and air conditioning work in the west wing basement and in the ground floor of the east wing; renovation of elevators; window replacements; and upgrade of electronic security in collections areas); the National Zoological Park ($21.1 million for fire protection; replacing plumbing, pumps and filters in the seal and sea lion facility; and repairing and replacing roofs, the skylight and facades of the older buildings); renovation of a storage pod at the Museum Support Center in Suitland, Md. ($15 million); and complete construction of replacement greenhouses in Suitland, Md. ($8.2 million).

A planning and design total of $23.5 million has been requested for several projects—Natural History, American History, the Zoo and for anti-terrorism projects at multiple locations.

A budget summary for the FY 2008 appropriation and FY 2009 requests follows:

  Fiscal Year 2008Appropriation Fiscal Year 2009Request
Salaries and Expenses (S&E)
$562,434,000
$588,400,000
Facilities Capital
 
 
 
 
 
Revitalization
$91,155,000
$104,500,000
Planning and Design
$14,274,000
$23,500,000
Construction
              $0
              $0
Total
$105,429,000
$128,000,000
Total Accounts
$682,629,000
$716,400,000

SI-74A-2008