Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson last week ordered an immediate halt to all new state road maintenance projects as part of his plan to avoid a $106 million revenue shortfall in fiscal 2010.
Parkinson’s list of budget adjustments includes a transfer of $28 million from the highway fund to the general fund.
He said the move would require the cancellation of all road projects scheduled for 2010 and 2011 that have not begun.
The Democratic governor said he had the authority to implement $52 million of his roadwork proposals, and called on the Legislature to act on another $54 million.
Parkinson said there are no longer any attractive options to balance the budget for fiscal 2010.
The spending plan has been modified five times to balance it by the end of fiscal 2010 as required by the state constitution.
“Having already cut more than $1 billion from state spending, every option I have left will harm state programs,” he said at his weekly news conference. “However, facing an additional $106 million shortfall with less than four months left in the fiscal year, I am compelled to act.”
The governor also ordered a delay in paying the fourth quarterly payment of $12 million to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.
The state faces a revenue shortfall in fiscal 2011 of at least $400 million, he said, which cannot be resolved solely through budget cuts.
“I look forward to the Legislature coming to the table, putting politics aside, and raising the revenue we need to get Kansas back on track,” Parkinson said.
