News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Governor Bill Lee’s annual budget hearings kicked off the upcoming budget cycle this week.
Representative Ryan Williams leads the house work on the budget. He said these hearings allow state departments to share a list of priorities explaining what they want to maintain or add to their operations in the next fiscal year. Williams said the main goals for next year’s budget include maintenance improvements for the state’s institutions of higher learning and additional funding for roads and bridges.
“Ultimately a lot of the change that we’re going to see this year, or the spend, is going to be based upon trying to help our citizens in upper East Tennessee reestablish their livelihoods and the infrastructure and services that they lost during Hurricane Helene,” Williams said.
Williams said the state’s Funding Board has recommended the budget be designed based on a moderate revenue growth rate. Williams said there are a lot of uncommitted reoccurring monies that could be used for various projects even if spending does not increase by much.
“The governor did set aside monies last year that were unencumbered for his policy around school choice,” Williams said. “I did receive an email from them and a copy of the bill that they intend to bring as it relates to school choice. And so even though I’ve heard lots of rumors about what he may or may not be considering or what the legislature may or may not be considering, that’s really the only real policy information that we’ve received so far.”
Williams said that moderate revenue growth rate will mostly be consumed by the annual growth in personnel expenses.
“The regular rate of growth in government as it relates to payroll, salaries and benefits usually totals around a little of $300 million,” Williams said.
