State agencies advised to hold line on spending

Good times or bad, Gov. Nathan Deal warns state agencies each summer not to plan on getting any more money to spend in the coming year.

This time around he may have a good reason. Most if not all of the new tax money the state will take in next year is likely spoken for as another huge teacher pension bill comes due and school and health care costs continue to rise.

“Any growth we are going to see is going to be eaten up naturally,” said House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, R-Auburn. “It’s all got a name and a number beside it.”

Teresa MacCartney, the governor’s budget director, sent out budget instructions Tuesday making it clear to state agency directors that most shouldn’t ask for anything new when they develop their spending proposals for the upcoming year.

“We will continue to put investing in our citizens and the longterm fiscal health of our state first and foremost,” she wrote in a memo obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This includes fully funding our pension obligations, continuing to invest in transportation infrastructure and fully funding growth needs in our education and human ser- vices/mental health systems.

“To ensure we are able to fund these priorities, agencies are to maintain (fiscal year) 2018 spending levels for agency programs.” Read entire story: on-ajc. com/GA_budget_health