Today, I announced the Colorado Senate will return $627,000 from its operating budget to the State’s General Fund on June 30. That’s more than twice the usual amount reverted in past years. In January I froze all funds for legislative out-of-state travel. Since then I reduced the average staff salaries by 17% in the President’s office, for a total savings of $74,000, and barred the practice of giving staff bonuses.
The freeze on travel resulted in the return of $38,600 to the state. Savings on Interim Committees, lower operating costs and no special session provided the balance of the funds returned.
The cuts start here. We must be first in line to demonstrate fiscal restraint. I intends to make further reductions in legislative operating expense in next year’s budget. I will ask the Legislative Management Team to review next year’s budget to seek a 10% reduction in the cost of running the legislature.
I support the Governor’s call to reduce the cost of government by ten percent. As former naval officer I intend to bring military rigor to the budget process, and will work with Governor’s staff to cut every unnecessary expense from state government.
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog, Budget at 2:41 PM UTC []
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COLORADO FACES $249M BUDGET SHORTFALL FOR REMAINING FISCAL YEAR
DENVER— Monday, Colorado’s Legislative Council released its economic forecast. For budget year 2008-09, which ends June 30th, 2009, there is an estimated $249 million shortfall. Thanks to the hard work of the Joint Budget Committee Colorado has a balanced budget and, despite these numbers, the General Assembly will not have to reconvene for a special session. For fiscal year 2009-10 Colorado faces a $384 million shortfall according to Legislative Council. Nearly all the decrease in the General Fund Revenue forecast was due to a decrease in income tax and sales tax revenue as a result of the economic downturn.
The numbers are bleak but these are not the numbers I agonize over. It’s the nearly 47,000 Coloradans who are out of work, the 17,000 children who lost access to health clinics, the middle-class college kid who can no longer pay the ever-increasing tuition bill – these are the numbers I’m focused on. While tough times don’t last, tough people do. We’ll lead the state through this recession and move forward to a brighter future.
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog, Budget, Economy at 11:26 AM UTC []
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