Dalton - Gov. Nathan Deal traveled across Georgia on Monday to promote a new $21.8 billion state budget he signed into law that will boost spending on schools, health care, and particularly, construction.
The budget contains $1.1 billion in borrowing for new schools, bridges and college buildings.
That's on top of the road projects the state is likely to undertake now that it has a new plan expected to funnel about $1 billion a year into transportation. The transportation bill passed too late in the session to be included in the official budget for fiscal 2016, which kicks in July 1.
Still, the state’s spending plan for the upcoming year is the product of an improving state economy that has raised the government’s revenue intake.
“This allows us to to do some things we’ve put off for years,” said Deal at a stop in Dalton. “And if you budget conservatively, you can do more with your money.”
Only a few years ago, state officials were talking about furloughs, shorter school years, program cuts and no pay raises for teachers or employees.
Next year’s budget includes 5-to-10-percent raises for top judges, district attorneys and circuit public defenders, 1 percent to provide merit raises to rank-and-file state employees, and sends extra money to school districts to help pay for teacher pay raises in at least some systems.
The budget signing came the same day as Georgia reported more encouraging news about the state’s fiscal health. Tax revenues increased $252 million, or 15 percent, in April compared with the same time last year. It was fueled by a burst in sales tax and motor fuel tax revenues over the month.
The governor vetoed one item in the budget plan: A proposal to issue a $3.5 million bond to finance a seawall on Hutchinson Island in Savannah. Deal’s office said he struck that item because the state does not yet own that beachfront property.
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