West Virginia officials are beginning to crunch the numbers for the 2013-2014 budget year. Some are being asked to cut their spending by 7.5 percent.
"At a time when other states have faced huge deficits, are being forced to cut critical services, and making significant budget reductions, West Virginia's fiscal health remains strong. We continue to operate with a budget surplus, and we are addressing our long-term debt," said Tomblin in a news release from his office on Monday. "However, we must vigilantly prepare for the future. My administration will continue to make fiscal responsibility a top priority. For 2014, we must simply do more with less in certain of our agencies. We will be up to that challenge."
The overall funding gap is 2 percent, according to the same news release.
There are some agencies which will be exempt from the budget cuts. Those include Medicaid, public schools, prisons and services for veterans and seniors. The Division of Miners' Health, Safety and Training is also exempt, as are State Police pensions and debt service.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney issued a statement on Monday evening:
"In less than a year, Earl Ray Tomblin has lost thousands of jobs and squandered the state surplus. Coal tax revenue is down because jobs are being lost in West Virginia. At the same time, Medicaid and the coming ObamaCare tax will create an explosion in government. Even Earl Ray's own memo can't hide his failed record as the budget dives toward a deficit. I have a plan to create jobs and will control government spending," said Maloney.
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