LEGISLATIVE LEADERS PRESENT PERFORMANCE-BASED BUDGETING PLAN
JACKSON – Republican legislative leaders today unveiled a plan to boost accountability at state agencies and spend taxpayer dollars on results.
House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves presented the performance-based budgeting plan, “Building a Better Mississippi,” with the support of members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, which Speaker Gunn chairs this year. The plan is the first significant effort to fund agency programs based on expectations established by the Legislature.
“We are continuing the fight to make sure that every tax dollar is spent wisely and that the benefit achieved out of every tax dollar is maximized,” Speaker Gunn said. “Republicans are changing the way government thinks about spending from, ‘What is government buying’ to ‘What is government accomplishing?”
“Taxpayers deserve a strong return on their investment in state government,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said. “Under this plan, we’ll see the results of government programs, and if they aren’t working they will be eliminated to allow for targeted investment in our priorities.”
Under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Reeves, Speaker Gunn, Sen. Terry Brown, R-Columbus, Rep. Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, and with assistance of Appropriations chairmen Sen. Buck Clarke, R-Hollandale, and Rep. Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, the Legislature has stopped relying on one-time funds to prop up the budget and spends recurring revenue on recurring expenses.
“With the state’s fiscal house in order, now is the time to lay out a plan for future funding of state services by demanding results,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said.
The plan, spearheaded by Sen. Terry Burton, R-Newton, and Rep. Toby Barker, R-Hattiesburg, initially will target the departments of corrections, education, health and transportation.
Under a 1994 law, Mississippi required agencies to report accomplishments to the budget committee; however, the data collected did adequately measure the agencies’ effectiveness and efficiencies. Twenty years later, state agencies now have improved reporting systems to measure program effectiveness.
The performance-based budgeting plan will allow the Legislature to establish clear priorities for agencies; create a comprehensive database of programs offered by agencies and performance measures; and evaluate the benefit-to-cost ratio of programs.
Read more about the plan at the following links:
7.24 LEGISLATIVE LEADERS PRESENT PERFORMANCE-BASED BUDGETING PLAN
