The “state government” area of the budget includes a number of agencies, offices and boards responsible for the basic operations of state government, such as offices established by the state constitution, the Department of Revenue, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), and the departments of Military and Veterans Affairs. Governor Dayton’s budget seeks to “transform how we provide residents with the best possible services, most efficiently, at the lowest cost.” His proposal for state government includes reductions for some state agencies, but also invests in initiatives to improve government efficiency and performance.
Some state government agencies receive cuts, others are left whole in the Governor’s proposal. The Governor’s budget recommends a five percent reduction in base funding for some constitutionally established offices, such as the Governor’s office, the legislature and the Attorney General. There are no reductions proposed for the State Auditor or the Secretary of State (which actually gets a small appropriation to pay for legal fees for a recent court case).
His budget also includes at least a five percent reduction in the operating budgets for the Department of Revenue, the Office of Enterprise Technology, the Department of Administration and MMB. (Reductions to other state agencies, such as the Department of Human Services or the Department of Education, are reported in other areas of the budget.) The Governor does not propose any reductions for the state’s councils of color, including the Council on Black Minnesotans, Chicano Latino Affairs Council, Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans and Minnesotan Indian Affairs Council.
The Governor’s budget includes funding for examining state government performance. The Governor recommends $500,000 in FY 2012-13 for a Results Management Initiative to “ensure that state agencies clearly identify their performance objectives and are held accountable for achieving results on critical initiatives.” There is also increased funding for the Small Agency Resource Team (SmART), which helps small agencies, boards and councils consolidate their human resource and financial management activities. However, the Governor appropriates $50,000 to evaluate whether some of those small agencies, boards and commissions can be merged or abolished.
The Governor raises additional revenue by increasing tax compliance. The Governor’s proposal would spend $11 million to increase Department of Revenue tax compliance efforts. The additional oversight is estimated to result in collecting nearly $44 million in taxes, netting the state $32 million in additional revenue.
Educational programs for the military would get additional funding in the Governor’s proposal. The Governor proposes a $3 million increase for tuition reimbursement in the Military Affairs Department. This additional funding enables the department to continue to provide 100 percent tuition reimbursement for members of the National Guard. The Governor also proposes nearly $2 million in additional funding for the Higher Education Veterans Program to help veterans access their educational benefits and make the difficult transition from the military to college.
-Christina Wessel
