Lawmakers will have $30 million more to spend next year than they anticipated during the latest session of the Legislature, Gov. Norm Bangerter said Wednesday.
Bangerter said the budget surplus is mostly because of more income taxes being collected than expected when the current budget was approved by lawmakers in January.Although the governor said the amount of the surplus is small compared with the state's $3.5 billion budget, it is still welcome. "It's nicer to have a surplus than a shortfall," he said.
No doubt that is especially true after the wrangling over budget projections that went on last session between Bangerter's budget office and the legislative fiscal analyst.
The budget process was deadlocked for a time after the fiscal analyst said the governor's revenue projections were too high and the budget that was nearly completed had to be cut.
The governor's optimism proved correct. "The Utah economy is continuing to do well," Bangerter said.
So far, only about $2 million of the additional revenue has been allocated. The governor said before the budget year began on July 1 that he would not require reductions in programs that serve the poor and medically needy.
Bangerter said Wednesday that he will recommend lawmakers use the remaining money to continue funding technology programs and reduction of class sizes in the state's public schools.
Other uses for the funds include helping the state's colleges and universities handle ever-increasing enrollments and investing in road and other infrastructure projects.
Those decisions will be made as part of the governor's budget process, which produces a budget for lawmakers to consider during the Legislature's general session in January.