A Stronger Kansas for Future Generations
The following is a column written by Representative Mike Burgess (R-Topeka).
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2009
A Stronger Kansas for Future Generations
By Rep. Mike Burgess
By now you have probably read or heard many stories about the dire financial situation the State of Kansas faces. Like many states, the economic downturn has caused state revenues to drop drastically. The latest numbers show the state's shortfall at nearly a billion dollars.
While the Legislature will be making some difficult spending decisions in the coming weeks, I believe this situation offers us an opportunity to make Kansas financially stronger and more responsible with the way it spends your tax dollars.
In the House Government Efficiency and Fiscal Oversight Committee, of which I am Vice-Chairman, we are discussing a number of bills that address how the state manages its money, saves for downturns in the economy, and becomes more efficient.
When it comes to how the state manages its money, I believe we should overhaul the state's budget process. Currently, each year the Governor puts together a budget plan based on the previous year's budget and presents it to the Legislature.
The Legislature has just a short time to review the new spending before approving its version of the budget. The discussion typically focuses only on enhancements, not on every expenditure each agency makes.
The committee is researching a multi-year zero-based budgeting system. This would require every agency to start at zero and build its budget on what it is really doing and spending. We are working to find a sane way to implement this, where each budget would only go through this process every few years. Zero-based budgeting would help state government become more responsible in the handling of your tax dollars.
The next step is to prepare Kansas for downturns in the economy. Establishing the "Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund" would allow the Legislature during a good year to set aside money. Then we would have a savings account to lean on during the bad years – instead of having to make drastic cuts. I believe government that is more stable in funding will be able to operate more efficiently.
An efficient government also comes from regular reviews of how agencies and programs operate and spend their funding. Last session, I led the fight in the Legislature to establish the Kansas Performance Measurement Commission to design a performance management system for the State of Kansas.
The system will be data driven to help legislators evaluate the effectiveness of state programs. It also will assess the current efficiency and effectiveness of state programs and make sure their activities are true to the mission of the agency.
Improving our budget process, saving for the future, and making our agencies more efficient will make Kansas stronger for future generations.
As always it is an honor to serve you and our neighbors in the 51st House District. Please call or email me about your concerns and ideas.
Rep. Mike Burgess
51st House District
785/296-7632
Mike.Burgess@house.ks.gov
Mike Burgess serves north and west Shawnee County and southern Wabaunsee County, including Alma, Eskridge, Harveyville, Rossville, Silver Lake, Willard and a little bit of Topeka.