Strickland’s budget likely to cause deficit, Ohio auditor says

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Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon)

By Marc Kovac

The governor said his budget is fiscally responsible.

COLUMBUS — The lone Republican among Ohio’s statewide officeholders warned lawmakers the proposed budget they are considering could lead to a $7.9 billion deficit in 2013.

Auditor Mary Taylor based the results on an analysis conducted by her office on Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland’s spending plan for the next two years.

“Ohioans deserve to know where our state is headed,” Taylor said in a statement released Thursday. “This budget should not pass in its current form without a full understanding of the serious long-term consequences it will have for Ohio and our citizens. Projections released today make it very clear: There is little room for error as Ohio navigates these unprecedented and uncertain economic times.”

Taylor’s comments echo concern from some Republican lawmakers, who continue to question the sustainability of using one-time federal stimulus dollars to pay for the state’s continuing expenses.

Under projections released by the auditor Thursday, the state could face a shortfall of $4.9 billion to $6.8 billion over the next fiscal biennium.

“We cannot continue to push our problems off until tomorrow, because the huge shortfall we project for 2012 and 2013 won’t go away simply by ignoring it,” Taylor said. “We need to get ongoing spending in line with ongoing revenues. That will require action and tough decisions.”

Strickland, in a prepared statement in response to the Taylor’s report, countered that his budget proposal was fiscally responsible and sustainable. He added a failure to use federal stimulus dollars would mean more job losses and decreased state services for residents in need.

“Auditor Mary Taylor appears to be advocating for tax increases or severe service cuts at a time when too many Ohioans are struggling to make ends meet,” Strickland said. “I continue to believe that increasing taxes on Ohioans during this national economic downturn would deepen the effects of the recession in Ohio and hurt, rather than help, Ohio families striving to emerge from this recession.”

He added, “Ohioans deserve nothing less from Auditor Mary Taylor and Republican leaders in the General Assembly than an honest answer to an important question: What taxes would you increase or what services would you cut, rather than utilize the federal stimulus resources that rightfully belong to Ohio taxpayers?”

mkovac@dixcom.com