Barbara,
This morning, we passed Arizona's Balanced Budget, a fiscally-responsible,
bipartisan spending plan that sets priorities, makes real permanent decisions
and solves the state's structural deficit while protecting vulnerable
populations.
This is a values-based budget that reflects key priorities for the state of
Arizona. It protects classrooms, child safety and public safety - all while
eliminating the state's structural deficit by 2017 and protecting you, the
taxpayer, from a tax increase.
Here are the highlights:
Fiscal Responsibility:
- Balances the budget and forces government to live within its means
- Eliminates the structural deficit by 2017
- It sets priorities: Child Safety, Classrooms, Public Safety
- $326 million in spending reductions
- Overall 2.3% reduction to government spending
- Protects taxpayers: No tax increase
Child and Public Safety:
- $849 million for Child Safety
- $1.5 billion for Public Safety
- 16% of the general fund budget is for Child Safety/Public Safety
Classrooms First:
- In total, schools will have more than $10 billion including state, federal,
capital and local funds
- Nearly 20% increase in general fund investment in K-12 since 2010
- 49% of state general fund budget will go to education (K-12 and universities
combined)
- Protects classroom funding, with a net increase in
new dollars
- Teach for America: $500,000 in new permanent funding
Higher Education:
- Budget includes more than $600 million in general fund dollars for
universities
- 7% of state general fund budget
- Protects rural community colleges from reductions
Our budget recognizes that meaningful and lasting improvement in our schools
and economy won't happen until government stops spending money it doesn't have,
and starts living within its means - the same way Arizona families, businesses
and individuals do day in and day out.
Many thanks,
Governor Doug Ducey
