Governor Bentley Details Legislative Budget Cuts to Lee County

OPELIKA – Governor Robert Bentley on Wednesday met with members of the Auburn Rotary Club to discuss the current budget crisis in the General Fund and the impact to Lee County if the Legislature’s severe cuts are enacted October 1^st.

“We are facing a tremendous crisis in our General Fund Budget that will impact every Alabama County if not addressed by the Legislature,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “I am committed to finding new revenue so our state agencies can continue to provide essential services to Alabamians. For decades, we have failed to address the way our non-education state agencies are funded. With no one-time money available to support the General Fund and debts that are owed, we have a real crisis on our hands. I encourage the residents of Lee County to let their elected representatives know that these cuts are unacceptable and will hurt the people in Lee County.”

The Alabama Legislature is considering a proposal that deeply cuts funding for state services. Each state agency was created by law to provide specific services to taxpayers. If enacted, these cuts will put the state in a position incapable of providing many of the essential services of government.

The specific cuts to Lee County include:

Cuts to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency budget will force the closure of the Opelika Trooper Post, which is one of 13 posts that will close across the state.
As many as 25 Alabama National Guard armories will close. The Lee County armory is one of the 25 armories that is on the list for closure if these cuts are enacted.
The cut to the Department of Veterans Affairs would prevent a veteran’s service officer from being hired in Lee County to help veterans.
Approximately 84 Lee County seniors would lose waiver funding that allows them to receive assistance at home and not in an institutional setting. In addition, 33 local service providers could lose their jobs. Those positions include case managers and general staff that help seniors.
Approximately 405 children in Lee County will lose temporary assistance from the Department of Human Resources.
The Lee County Court System would experience the layoff of 6 Juvenile Probation Officers and 9 Court Specialists on the Circuit Clerk’s Staff.
The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) renews approximately 10,000 water permits every 5 years. Lee County has 370 water current water permits. Under the Legislature’s proposal, the Environmental Protection Agency is highly likely to take over ADEM and a delay in renewing water permits is highly likely.
Over 5,000 people statewide currently receive assistance for intellectual disabilities in their community. Over 1,000 people statewide would be eliminated from receiving assistance for intellectual disabilities. In Lee County, over 100 people currently receive assistance and 25 are waiting for services.

In February, Governor Bentley presented his budget plan with additional revenue for the General Fund that would avoid the devastating cuts. Governor Bentley’s budget solution includes additional revenue in the form of fair taxes and will cover the revenue shortfall in the General Fund and pay off millions of dollars in debt the state owes. Details on the Governor’s revenue package can be found here.

“Now is the time for real solutions to address our budget challenges. I was elected to solve problems, and I urge members of the Legislature to work with me to put this state on a successful path forward. I applaud the House GOP Caucus for agreeing with me that tax increases are needed to address the revenue shortfall in the General Fund. However, their proposal raises only a portion of the needed revenues for state agencies to operate on October 1. By working together, we can make Alabama better for future generations,” Bentley added.