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Governor asks for additional 3 percent holdback for current fiscal year
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter announced Monday that he is ordering an additional 3 percent state budget holdback because of revenue shortfall for this fiscal year.
This 3 percent holdback for current budgets is in addition to the one percent holdback he ordered in September. In addition, the governor ordered all state institutions to hold 2 percent of their General fund budgets in reserve in case more cuts are needed.
"This is precisely why I asked state agencies in September to hold an additional 1 1/2 percent of their appropriated General Fund budgets in reserve - on top of the 1 percent holdback," the Governor said in a release on Monday. "And it's why I am now directing them once again to hold 2 percent of their General Fund budgets in reserve on top of the additional 3 percent holdback I'm ordering today.
"These are difficult decisions made in consultation with legislative leaders and based on the best economic information available at this point in time. None of us know with certainty where the bottom of this downturn will be. But we have a responsibility to act prudently with taxpayers' dollars, and a constitutional requirement to balance the state budget. This is a necessary step.
The governor gave state agencies, including LCSC, until noon on Monday, Dec. 8, to finalize their specific holdback plans.
In addition, the governor directed all state agencies to begin preparing immediately for reductions in budget proposals they already have submitted for Fiscal 2010, which begins next July 1. He said those plans should be consistent with the 4 percent reduction in spending already ordered for the current budget year, plus the additional 2 percent that agencies are being directed to hold in reserve for the balance of Fiscal 2009.
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