Budget shortfall estimated

Sen Brian Bingman

President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement after Tuesday’s  Board of Equalization meeting, which increased its estimated shortfall for fiscal year 2015 from $171 million to $188 million.

“We already knew from the December certification that our budget would be down next year. We are obviously disappointed to see it move further in the wrong direction, but agencies have known about the downturn for several months now and have been planning accordingly. We will need to tighten our belt even more and take the time to scrutinize every tax dollar spent to ensure core government services like education, health care, public safety and transportation are maintained. Like always, I am confident we can balance our budget and remain good stewards of the taxpayer dollar. Our state’s economy remains strong and I am hopeful this is a one-year anomaly, not an economic trend.”