[ Previous Section | Next Section | Contents ]

FY01 State Budget

The total state budget for FY01 is roughly $13.931 billion compared to FY00 Total State Budget of $13.890 billion, a growth of approximately $41 million. Federal and General Fund Revenue increased in FY01 while Statutory Dedications and Self-generated Revenue both declined.

General Fund revenues increased in FY01 by roughly $195 million when comparing revenue available for establishing the FY01 executive budget to revenue available for the FY00 Executive Budget. The $195 million in growth accounts for a decline in revenue, mostly in Corporate Income and Franchise taxes and the renewal of the 3 pennies on food and utilities recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference on May 11, 2000. Additionally, the comparison recognizes the taxes raised during the 2000 Regular Session and an increase in oil revenues recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference on June 16, 2000.

Tax measures passed during the 2000 Regular Session and increases in mineral revenues, both recognized by the Revenue Estimating Conference, fully funded the Supplemental Section (Section 17) of HB1.

General Fund Expenditures grew by 3.3%, or $194.5 million. It should be noted that growth in the FY01 General Fund Expenditures is primarily due to a replacement of the use of Tobacco Settlement Funds utilized in the FY00 budget in the Department of Health and Hospitals and an increase in debt service for FY01.

The following series of pie charts on the next page represent:

• Total Means of Financing;
• Total Expenditures;
• General Fund Revenue Forecast;
• General Fund Expenditures,
• Discretionary and Non-Discretionary General Fund Expenditures;
• Non-Discretionary portion of the budget by expenditure category.

Most of the sets of pie charts present data for FY00 and the appropriated level for FY01 for comparative purposes. In percentage terms, the Total State Budget grew by .3% from FY00. General Fund Expenditures grew by 3.3% for the same comparative time period. The "Non-Discretionary General Fund Expenditures by Category" pie chart shows the constitutional, statute, federal, and other mandates which the state is required by law to pay. These items are the reason nearly 61 percent of the State General Fund budget cannot be used by the legislature to fund any other programs than those provided for by law.

A Reduction in State Personnel

In conjunction with the gubernatorially mandated personnel position reductions and attrition, which were both carried into the FY01 Executive Budget, Louisiana reduced total positions by approximately 2,262. Departments have until April 1, 2001, to reach their new authorized position levels as prescribed in HB1. The chart on page 11, provided by the Office of Planning and Budget, details position counts by department in comparison to FY00.