What will budget cuts effect

Most of the staffing reduction was accomplished through staff attrition and retirements 6 positions ; however, it was necessary to lay off 4 employees. We are continuing to examine how we can work more efficiently and effectively and be of greater service to the Florida Legislature. Sylvia Hensley , California. Although California is facing a record deficit, our budget has not been adversely affected. While we have voluntarily implemented some cost cutting measures, these measures have not affected the resources available to conduct audits.

For example our staffing levels and salary practices remain the same. Additionally, we continue to promote employees and provide merit pay increases; however, we have discontinued bonus programs that are not available statewide and we have reduced and placed tighter limits on the educational programs we will fund. We have also limited the number of conferences, especially out-of-state conferences, that staff are allowed to attend.

Although we continue to recruit new staff, we are limiting the amount of out-of-state recruiting and focusing our efforts on those schools where we have been most successful in the past.

We are also cutting non-essential administrative and capital improvement expenditures. John Sylvia , West Virginia. The only impact that the budget shortfall in our state has had on our office is that we have a larger proportion of "large" agencies to review compared to previous years.

For example, we have been asked to look at Workers' Compensation with the intent of identifying cost savings. We have more work than ever before, and there will be no layoff of staff, although we have been without two staff members who were mobilized to Kuwait. We have been short two people for the past eight months. It is nearly certain that our office staff will not receive annual salary raises this year.

The last nine years we have received annual raises. Overall, our office hasn't been significantly impacted by the state's budget problems. Jim Pellegrini , Montana. Montana's budget problems affected all state agencies. We anticipate hearing that from all of them while we conduct our audit work.

The Legislature started from the fiscal year base and then used what money was available to fill in the budgets to match and projected revenues. That's about a 3. We are going to drop our criminal investigator position that was on contract with the Department of Justice; out-of-state travel is down; some data processing areas were placed on longer time periods for completion; and dues were eliminated to some organizations.

The workload did not go down. In fact, one of the areas for review is the impact on agency programs from vacancy savings, and how the work that is impacted by those vacant positions is managed. We do have two open positions that helped us manage our personal services expenses and get through the previous fiscal year. We are now recruiting for those positions; and hiring at a lower annual salary will result in some budget flexibility.

It's going to be business as usual. Nancy Zajano , Ohio. In the past these sessions have been important for developing the skills and knowledge needed for our work, and new staff have been the most affected by these cutbacks.

But it will potentially harm the struggling economy, since both public and private sectors benefit from better roads, bridges, schools and water systems and the jobs these projects create. Delaying maintenance also has consequences for the deteriorating infrastructure in the U.

The costs of unaddressed repairs could increase future costs. It can cost more to replace a crumbling building than it does to fix one in better repair. In many states, the new budgets severely cut their aid to local governments, which will lead to large local cuts in education — both K and higher education — as well as social programs, transportation, health care and other areas. Lacking any of these support services can be devastating to a person, especially in this difficult time.

Libraries, which provide services to many communities, from free computer use to after-school programs for children, will have to cut back. They may have fewer workers, be open for fewer hours and not offer as many programs to the public. Parks may not be maintained, broken playground equipment may stay that way, and workers may not repave paths and mow lawns.

Similar cuts to firefighters and ambulance workers may mean poorly equipped responders take longer to arrive on a scene and have less training to deal with the emergency. To keep with developing public safety standards, more maintenance staff and materials will be needed to clean and sanitize schools , courtrooms, auditoriums, correctional facilities , metro stations, buses and other public spaces. Strained budgets and employees will make it harder to complete these new essential tasks throughout the day.

US cities and states are responsible for the vast majority of K funding. All because of the pandemic. But from a financial viewpoint, the broadcaster had few other options. In , domestic numbers for undergraduate courses fell for the first time since — they will remain stagnant for some years.

This and other factors put unis at face financial risk. Cutting the program formerly known as food stamps would hurt low-income Americans and the whole economy.