Gov. Wolf said Tuesday in a radio interview he will use his February 7 budget address to unveil his plan to reimagine state government to consolidate agencies and functions and make the cuts needed to address an estimated $2.2 billion deficit.

He also pledged again to not balance his budget proposal with increases in the personal income or sales taxes.

“I think what the citizens of Pennsylvania really want is for us to figure out how to reimagine government and make it live within its means; do the things that government should do to make middle class lives better, to make Pennsylvania better, but do it within our means,” he told morning show host Larry Richert and John Shumway. “That is what my administration is trying to do and I’ll unveil my proposals in my February 7 budget address.”

Though light on the details, Gov. Wolf’s comments Tuesday were in line with some of what Republican leaders in the legislature have been saying needs to take place in the coming budget cycle to make Pennsylvania’s government leaner, more efficient, and taxpayer friendly.

This week took additional steps to save money by announcing the closing of two state mental health facilities eliminating 734 positions and consolidating investments in three state funds to save $5.6 million in investment management fees.

These actions were in addition to the steps Gov. Wolf has already announced-- reducing the amount of money the Commonwealth spends on prisons and corrections, eliminating thousands of unfilled state jobs, consolidating information technology and human resources services, minimizing new and renewed leases.

Gov. Wolf also asked each agency to look at how to flatten and streamline across their organizations to achieve operational efficiencies and allow agencies to better focus resources on delivering programs and services to Pennsylvania.

Senate/House Budget Hearings

The House Appropriations Committee Friday released the schedule of hearing dates on Gov. Wolf’s FY 2017-18 budget proposal which are set to begin on February 21 and end March 9.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also released its schedule of hearings Friday.

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[Posted Jan. 13, 2017]

1/16/2017