State agencies map out possible cuts to plug budget hole
OLYMPIA — Layoffs, cuts in human service programs, and delays for a slew of road projects loom if the state is forced to pare billions of dollars in spending in response to a budget crunch brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tax collections are plummeting as a result of the shuttering of much of the economy since late March in an attempt to blunt the spread of coronavirus. Even as the state slowly reopens and the wheels of commerce restart, lawmakers and Gov. Jay Inslee are facing a potential $4 billion hole in the current budget which runs through mid-2021.
While reserves can plug part of it, Inslee directed state agency leaders to put forth blueprints for cutting 15% in spending from their current budgets. The Office of Financial Management posted their responses online Monday.
With lawmakers expected to convene a special session this summer, the information will provide them and the governor with guideposts for potential cuts.
Almost every one contains layoffs, furloughs, not filling vacancies or forgoing pay hikes.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/state-agencies-map-out-possible-cuts-to-plug-budget-hole/?email=markstocker@frontier.com
