DE Budget Cuts Announced
We are entering uncharted territory and it is good to know that in Delaware and in Washington that the grown ups are back behind the wheel.
Per Governor Markell’s press release:
After taking a thorough line-by-line look at appropriations for fiscal 2009, Markell and the Office of Management and Budget found an additional $27.4 million in state agency budgets that can be returned to the General Fund. Those savings, along with the savings from the new state spending policies announced Thursday, will reduce the fiscal 2009 shortfall by $28.7 million.
Markell emphasized that the cuts announced today are only the beginning.
“Shortly after we have had a chance to fully analyze the impact on Delaware of the stimulus package, we will begin to make additional announcements about steps we must take to balance the Fiscal Year 2009 and Fiscal Year 2010 budgets,” Markell said. “We expect those steps will be difficult and painful.”
Complete list of cuts after the jump.
jason
Have you seen anything more detailed on education yet? (e.g. how much of that cut will be taken by higher ed as opposed to k-12)
I can’t find much on education cuts, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be pretty.
Steve: This is all that was released today. If you’ll recall, Markell said he thought he’d be able to trim 1 to 2 percent off the budget through these moves, which would have been $33 million minimum. He didn’t even reach that.
Not pretty? Damned ugly, I’d say. My yardstick will be what the state cops are asked to give up. Damned little is my guess.
Al
The first thing that should happen (but won’t) is that the Secretary of Homeland Security job should be abolished and its functions merged into the Chief of the State Police (if we could find one who won’t get sued for sexual harassment)….
I teach in one of our down state middle schools. We’re preliminarily planning on 10-15 cuts from our school along, equalling about a 20% staff reduction. More people on unemployment, less people paying taxes, and a worse education for our kids. Sounds like a pretty poor plan to me; something simply has to give. I just have no idea what!
They started on this before Markell ever took office…
“My yardstick will be what the state cops are asked to give up.”
…. or the fire service.
The Governor needs to offer a plan.