Budget Briefing: Cautious optimism on job security

March 15, 2007 - State services consumers, employees, managers and the rest of the passengers on the Ohio ship of state have been bobbing in uncertain and dangerous waters the last few months, but it looks like the new captain and his crew have charted a relatively safe and innovative route for the next two years.

PHOTO: OBM Director Pari Sabety holding a
budget briefing for Statehouse reporters.

The Strickland administration today released the outlines of its proposal for state spending and revenues for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 and initial indications are that there will be employment security for most, if not all, state workers.

"As in any new budget, we have been concerned about how OCSEA members might fair given the changing revenue picture, but I am now cautiously optimistic about what I see so far and with what various administration officials are saying," said union Executive Director Andy Douglas. "Governor Strickland, for example, is obviously committed to maintaining real funding levels for the adult and juvenile corrections systems. He also deserves praise for backing the continued operations of the MR/DD developmental centers.

"We now also know that some agencies like Agriculture and the Civil Rights Commission will sustain actual budget cuts, and others like Natural Resources won’t receive even inflationary increases. We are, of course, concerned about these departments and I am reminded of the adage that ‘the devil is in the detail.’ Still, we are receiving assurances from the administration that no state agencies are expecting layoffs. That is good news and it appears that our efforts have met with success," said Douglas.

The information received so far also leaves unanswered questions about possible shifts of programs and personnel among various state agencies.

NEXT STEPS  OCSEA staff along with union chapter and assembly leaders will now spend several days going line-by-line through each agency budget and the forthcoming budget bill language to get a detailed sense of what is being proposed.

The union will also be in contact with the management in each agency to clarify their intentions. As more information becomes available, details will be published on the union website and included in union print publications.

All of this will be preparation for budget hearings in the Ohio House and Senate, which have the power to craft their own budget proposals.

"The governor’s proposal is just that: It’s a proposal. It’s just a starting point," warned Douglas. "The legislature can and will make changes and we will still have to justify the services state workers provide. The budget doesn’t have to be completed until June 30, 2007. In political terms, that is a long time to keep us headed in the right direction, so the continued attention and support of all OCSEA members will be crucial."

Help preserve your agency's state funding and services. Browse our state budget page for updates, factsheets, tips and legislative links at http://www.ocsea.org/budget.

Related Resources

Complete Version (PDF)

Budget Briefing (PDF)

Budget By Section

Book 2: Tax Exp. (PDF)

Links to the Budget Bills

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