Gov. Mark Sanford held a rare state budget summit with state agencies Tuesday morning, looking for ways to cut state spending. Because of the downturn in the economy, state revenues are short by as much as $250 million.
The governor has asked state agencies for their bottom ten percent of spending, the lowest priorities that could be cut if necessary. At the budget summit, agency leaders talked about other ways to save taxpayers money, such as having agencies located in the same office building combine human resources departments.
Sanford says the budget problems are also a good opportunity to restructure state government to make it more efficient, something he's been proposing for years.
Agencies say they're likely to ask state lawmakers for relief from programs and laws mandated by the legislature. For example, Corrections Department director Jon Ozmint said the agency might stop educating prison inmates as a way to save money. He said that may not be a good thing to cut, but if the alternative is not having enough corrections officers watching inmates, it may be necessary.
The summit comes a day before the state's economic advisers are expected to reduce South Carolina's projected revenues by 4 percent or more.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement