BUDGET TRAINING - DAY 1  
Policy analyst describes budget process
Strickland cabinet members address OCSEA leadership at budget training

March 8, 2007 - One week before the full budget is due out, OCSEA leaders gathered at union headquarters for a March 8 - 9 budget training. The crowd of more than 100 subordinate body officers and activists today also heard from budget experts and a state representative .

John Corlett, senior policy analyst for the Center for Community Solutions, talked nuts and bolts about the budget process, but also talked strategy. He said most of the money that the state takes in in taxes goes out in the form of services, and that only 9 percent of the budget is made up of payroll of state employees.

He said activists need to remind legislators of this and that they can’t balance the budget using only 9 percent of the budget.

According to Corlett the state is running a surplus because of under spending on Medicaid – a good thing. The other good news is that some of the tax revenue is actually above estimates. He reminded people to keep their eye on under spending, particularly close to the end of the process or to look for new revenue projections as the process moves along to conference committee.

“The governor is going to fund things they have to fund. Any new money will go to the Turn Around Ohio Agenda,” he said. 

Corlett also showed activists how to navigate their way through their agency’s budget, particularly the Bluebook. He said when an agency’s budget or a program is reduced the best thing to look at is how GRF is being spent because it’s the most stable funding source and it has flexibility, as opposed to other revenue streams such as federal money.

The afternoon concluded with an exercise in reading agency budgets and becoming budget “detectives.”

“You have to read the budget bill, no matter what the Bluebook might say. Words matter. We went through that with the TABOR/TEL amendment. Words matter, we learned from that experience.”

See Related

Website of the Center for Community Solutions

Training Day 1 - Tax Commissioner Rich Levin addressed OCSEA leaders

Training Day 1 - OBM Director Pari Sabety: Money savings explored

Training Day 1 - Rep. Scott Oelslager talks to leaders about talking to legislators

Training Day 2 - Speakers talk messaging, impact of federal cuts

Photo Gallery - Check out photos of speakers and leaders