Navajo Nation Council Approves Navajo Nation $1.2 Billion Comprehensive FY 2020 Budget

Sponsor of the Navajo Nation Fiscal Year 2020 Comprehensive Budget and Vice Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee Honorable Raymond Smith, Jr. presents Legislation 0257-19 to the Navajo Nation Council at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber in Window Rock, Ariz. on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019.

Published September 4, 2019

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.  The Navajo Nation Council passed the Navajo Nation Fiscal Year 2020 Comprehensive Budget Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber in Window Rock.

“On behalf of the 24th Navajo Nation Council, I wish to thank the Navajo Nation Office of Management and Budget, Navajo Nation Council staff, Chapter officials, program managers, division directors, President Nez and Chief Justice Jayne for coming together to create a balanced budget,” said 24th Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon.

The Navajo Nation Fiscal Year 2020 Comprehensive Budget is the overall budget for the Navajo Nation government for the period beginning Oct. 1, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020.

Budget and Finance Committee Vice Chair Raymond Smith, Jr., the sponsor of the legislation, stated that the fiscal year 2020 budget begins the process of tightening the belt for future years. Based on the Office of the Controller’s projected changes in royalties, the budget also sets aside funding for fiscal year 2021 to better prepare for revenue shifts, said Vice Chair Smith.

The budget legislation passed with recommendations from the Budget and Finance Committee and one amendment from Delegate Kee Allen Begay, Jr by a vote of 16 in favor and 4 opposed with Speaker not voting.

Before the adjustments by the Budget and Finance Committee, the approved budget appropriates $1,253,069,202 as the operating budget for fiscal year 2020. Of that operating budget, $163,200,000 are General Funds, $22,500,000 is Indirect Cost Credit, $12,400,000 is Higher Education set aside funds, $6,948,207 is Personnel Savings, $84,505,383 is Proprietary Fund, $78,905,642 is Fiduciary Funds, $43,767,992 is Special Revenue Internal Funds, $3,800,000 is External Cash Match Funds, $3,000,000 is Capital Outlay Match Funds and $834,041,978 is Special Revenue External Funds.

The approved budget includes an operating budget of $16,586,333 for activities within the Legislative Branch. The Judicial Branch is appropriated $19,857,398 for its operating budget. The Executive Branch approved operating budget is $1,190,717,730. Navajo Nation Chapter Non-Administrative Costs were also included in the approved budget at an amount of $11,998,969. The final amounts are pending required adjustment by the Office of Management and Budget.

The Navajo Nation Council also approved a $5 million carryover for the three branches. The carryover allocates $3 million to the Executive Branch with priority allocation of $1 million to cover chapter meeting stipends. The Legislative Branch and the Judicial Branch are allocated $1,500,000 and $500,000, respectively. The final carryover amounts are subject to balances at the end of the current fiscal year.

Under the approved budget, a total of $2 million is allocated to Chapter official stipends for fiscal year 2020.

The Office of Management and Budget will deliver final calculations to the Office of Legislative Services, which will then deliver the budget to Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez for veto or approval.

The Office of Legislative Services expects to deliver the approved budget by Friday.