Columns:: Another round of budget cuts begins for state government

since 12/15/98

Columns::August 18, 2003

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Campus News

Another round of budget cuts begins for state government

By Beth Roberts
beth@uga.edu

On Aug. 4, the state Office of Planning and Budget instructed all state agencies “to identify 2.5 percent of their FY2004 appropriation for probable reduction.” Fiscal year 2004 is the current fiscal year, and the University System is one of the many state agencies affected.
OPB is reacting to the continuing economic slowdown. Georgia’s July revenues fell 5.4 percent from July 2002, which was itself a month of decline. It was the third consecutive month of falling tax collections, and the state is now well into a second year of declining revenues and a slower than expected economic recovery.
OPB also directed all state agencies to identify an additional 5.0 percent for possible further reduction this year as part of the planning process for next year’s budget.
“University officials have begun the process of identifying the further budget cuts,” says Tom Jackson, associate vice president for public affairs. “When guidance is received from the board of regents regarding implementation, directions will go to university departments.”
Jackson says the university has so far absorbed cuts of 11.63 percent since July 1, 2002. Those cuts--of $48.445 million--were imposed on the fiscal year 2003 budget. Since then, enrollment has increased by 1,400 students, Jackson says. If the potential 2.5 percent cut from the fiscal year 2004 budget is in fact adopted, UGA’s cuts will total 14 percent and
$58.6 million. An additional 5 percent will bring the total to 19 percent and $89 million.

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