The Georgia General Assembly comes together every year to review and approve the state’s budget. Passing a balanced budget before the end of session is a constitutional requirement, which makes it a priority for both the Senate and House. We passed House Bill 44, the general budget for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18), which is the largest budget in state history, sitting at almost $25 billion, in March of this year.
As the chairman of the Transportation Committee, I find the recommendation of allocating $1.71 billion for transportation funding in FY18 appropriate for the number of current projects throughout the state. This amount of funding consists of $54.5 million in state general funds and $1.66 billion in state motor fuel funds, which are a result of the Transportation Funding Act of 2015. This funding will allow the Georgia Department of Transportation to continue their work on improving our transportation infrastructure through road repaving, expansion and bridge repair. This will allow us to ensure the safety of Georgians and those who travel in and around our state.
Some other recommendations from the governor include adding $133.2 million for enrollment growth and training programs at our K-12 public schools as well as adding $240 million in bonds towards new school construction and equipment. These recommendations will allow us to accommodate the population growth and the overcrowding in our schools as well as create new construction and teaching jobs.
Last year, in the Fiscal Year 2017 general budget, the General Assembly provided funds for Georgia’s teachers to receive a salary increase. Unfortunately, we did not require school districts to distribute the funds to the teachers, even though the funding was there. As a result, many school districts chose not to use the money for teacher salary increases. To fix this, we allocated an additional $160.1 million in funds for 2% base-salary increases for Georgia’s teachers. This ensures they will receive the raises they were supposed to get last year.
Higher education has long been a top priority for Georgia, so the recommendation of $49.2 million in additional funding for the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships is needed to ensure that we’re building an educated and talented workforce.
I’m pleased that the General Assembly continues to pass fiscally conservative budgets that result in Georgia receiving AAA bond ratings year after year. The FY18 budget includes funding for a variety of state agencies and programs including community health, criminal justice, economic development, judicial systems, statewide library renovations, homeland security and more. You can find the FY18 budget in its entirety at Senate.Ga.gov.
I look forward to keeping you updated, as we continue through the 2017 legislative session. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my office at 404-463-1378, or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I am here to serve you.
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