Lawmakers Expected To Battle Tightened Budget
January 7, 2009
El Paso State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh said Texas will have a surplus this year, but not as big as many expected and that means some projects may be put on hold.
Written by Daniel Novick, KFOX 14- El Paso
EL PASO, Texas -- By this time next week, Texas lawmakers should have a pretty good idea of the budget they have to work with, and the slowing economy will play a part.
El Paso State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh said Texas will have a surplus this year, but not as big as many expected and that means some projects may be put on hold.
Veronica Vigil works as an administrative secretary and student at UTEP.
"I just think it's going to affect us as state employees, you know, not getting a raise," said Vigil.
Vigil is talking about the upcoming Texas state budget.
"Oil is down to $48 a barrel, you had Ike hit the coast and cause a lot of damage and money problems, and so we don't anticipate a surplus the way folks have been talking about in Austin the last six or seven months," said Shapleigh.
Shapleigh said there will be a surplus, but once you cover the basic needs, plus Medicare and education for the more than 400,000 people who came to Texas last year, not much is left.
"When you talk about some of these things that have been put on hold for many years, it will affect those decisions and those programs," Shapleigh told KFOX.
Shapleigh said that includes improving UTEP, the Texas Tech Medical Center, and other discretionary projects, but Shapleigh adds it could be worse.
"We're for sure not going to be in the situation of a New York or a California that are looking at multibillion-dollar deficits where they are doing massive cuts in different agencies," he said.
Vigil said she is ready for whatever comes her way.
"I'm financially prepared, and things like that for the economy," she said.
Shapleigh said for this budget, he doesn't expect hiring freezes or raise freezes for state employees, but other tough decisions will be made during this legislative session.
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