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STAIEMBNT OF GOVERNOR BRYANT
T0
FLORIDA BURgET COMMISSION
ITS OPENING MEETING
JANUARY 10, 1961
I want to express the appreciation which the members or the Budget
Commission and I feel to the members or the Legislature who are
appearing here for their respective apprOpriations committees to begin
consideration or the fiscal position of the State or Florida for the
next biennium. It is my feeling that much good can be accomplished
by your presence here and by your participation in these hearings.
It is our desire that you participate fully and feel free to ask
questions and discuss these budgets as you so desire. I do ask, or
course, that we limit questions to those which can be answered within
the confines or the times we have allotted, although I hope that the
matters brough out here will excite your further interest and suggest
additional information you may want to secure individually to prepare
I you for final decision.
Florida is going through a period of financial stabilization
in its total economy which tends to point up a return to a down-to-
. earth economy which portends an increase in the State's revenues
considerably below the inflationary experience we have had for the
past several years. where in the past our revenues have been
increasing each year at the rate of about 10 per cent overall, we now
find that the increase is more likely to be two to three per cent
in the current fiscal year, with the outlook for the next two years'
increase to be about six to seven per cent per year as we recover
from the present recession.
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Principally because of the national recession, the tight money
market which has persisted, and a slow-down in new permanent residents
each year since 1957, it is likely that total revenues in the current
biennium will not exceed $690 million. With normal tax collections
through the remaining six months of the current biennium, we feel
that all needed appropriations can be financed through June 30, and
we possibly will end the biennium with about $3 million unencumbered
balance in the general fund.
The outlook now is for the first year of the next biennium to be
a year of some recovery, and the second year of the biennium should
bring some return to what might be called "prosperity." As yet, there
are no final revenue estimates prepared. These should be forthcoming
in early February in order to give the forecasters as much time as is
possible to determine current and future trends in the economy. But
using a tentative figure of around $780 million at the present time
as an estimate, simple arithmetic shows that we will have about $90
million more in the next two years than is available in the current
two years. Let no mention here that Mr. Green has estimated that
only $760 million will be available in the next two years, and the
accuracy of that figure will compound our difficulties to the extent
of $20 million. I do want to emphasise that the figures are tentative
and certainly are subject to revision either downward or upward when
the final estimate is made. We know that there are some appropriation
increases which are almost mandatory -- such as the Minimum Foundation
Program, operation of Junior Colleges, County School Sales Tax,
and the additional County School Capital Outlay. He conservatively
estimate that the needs in such program siwll require about $33 million
in excess of spending in this biennium. Deducting this amount from
the $90 (or $70) million, we find that there will be approximately
$57 (or $37) million available for all of the other needs of the
State which come from the general fund. This includes Operations as
well as Capital Outlay.
Today, we are beiginning the advanced planning for the State's
operations and building program for the next biennium. From this
planning in the Executive branch, and from your work as members of the
1961 legislature, will come the appropriations and the means to
finance the essential needs of Florida's State Government.
The Budget Gammiaeion is faced with a tremendous "pruning" Job
in holding recommended appropriations within estimated revenues from
current tax sources. Agency requests for appropriation: from the
general fund todal approximately $951 million for the next two years,
of which apprOximately $811 million is for Operationu and $1Q0 million
is for Capital Outlay. It is apparent, therefore, that approximately
$171 (or $191) million, will have to be trimmed from these requests.
It is, and has been, the policy or the Budget Commission to present
to the Legislature its recommendations for apprOpriationa in a
balanced budget. That is, recommended appropriations must not exceed
the funds expected to be available during the same period.
Therefore, as difficult as this will be, we shall out the cloth
to fit the pattern.
We shall now proceed with the Budget Commission hearings, and
I will ask r. Smith, the Budget Director, to call the first agency
scheduled for today.
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90 (or 0%) millier:, iie ?Ma th(it t-irre All Ec |-oxiirlet:ely or M) ::ti.lum willable for ::-D Dr rim otiv::: od:: o C ::he .Lehiait emi" i'Por.1 ti-as ge:ir:Tal fur:1. Tli-la 11;^11%119': Uj:ers !-. Mi:' ::,8 G itCal::j Er:~J Olit .Eig-, dC Sik: --r::igi-111!!8 Idtt' Di .1!000. |.'181211.1112 .EC'r Ole Si"-ste 3 alid 5:ijil lifg j:3'DG~'"dir. EDI' ~ehe :10~ : t'd.3f211'.:Fi. F-'D'~1 Mil re et blir: 5:mCL:liTG bralich and r~rgir, "fQgr ENT El amigr:: er 1-he lature, will e:oro 1:he approrr:I:stjors tria the :y::n e nee t-ho 0-::1761103 a i reco:: e Fi.0:'i..10s 31aa Gmerito:st The Bilde;et Coinreise ieri is d'ace!! tu tali := treatmo: "1:rt: t-il re-. jo r, o^!dire normilerified spleo-,rh t.ions ta ithia ^ atim:Ad remnae!? fari enew:t ta:. sotira,:2 67,eun; re'llicas f:.r ::pprog:r j crioilu trari the 02 -if-NU. friftd 1-Odal EpprO:-:11Widu 'Ti U,11110[. f31~ the i~~~'t i~MD ';~CDPi" of WMen approximmi-f 611 nillion is fa Opelei:ices .:Ind GM million -. is for essi r.e'l 01.11137. R -12 & N een-, themfore the E myr:n:il11ati--1, i-i. (or 093 ) inilliere will hae 1.0 e i:riavis Pro the:E rent:3. ] t 13 a|WI ha ix.e n, rho pol j og 21: t o arise 2:. Certai;lts i:n to pr:i se:": t a de afir:.laatinits momrten:Jaisors for eg:r:cpriat:.ons lit e bE-,iaiM6(i WLid :t .T'hE.~. '.O reuOtiirii-fild.ed hjgaral:-Plat 10]^.E 3112--. GOT 0^-29: the fl].1";-| 2 0-paCYAQ 10 14 3Vei J (11 .Lr: :llspiils taE 23rriE per-3.ed. Thenfar&y 00 -:|11"?16111% 30 blLi.S Will ley d' DN.].". 01.12 thG victh t.o fi-. the yttern. iaball note proceed with NT Badmi-CorMLrion henring:2, till I id :.2 ri-4: MS ''':a Eth, Me Bidsd Dimett-r, to all tM fira, ign --:.h.::::1.l i e si ?y;-o-lay
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