Oklahoma state budget (2009-2010)

Note: This article was last updated in 2010. Click here for more recent information on state budgets and finances.

Fiscal Year 2010 State Budget

See also: Archived Oklahoma state budgets

Oklahoma ended FY2010 with the worst revenue shortfall in the state’s history. State Treasurer Scott Meacham said in a July 13, 2010, release, “A drop of $945 million or 17 percent in collections from the prior year illustrates the intensity of the historical downturn Oklahoma’s economy experienced.”

Summary of FY-2010 Balanced Executive Budget

Category	Amount
Revenue
1. Total Amount Available from Certification Packet	$6,755,890,998
2. Revenue Enhancement
Add Collection Fee onto Delinquent Accounts sent to Collection Agencies	$1,350,000
Adjustment to Certification Packet	$20,000,000
Certification Reduction to Authorized Fund	$9,057,649
Provide for Third Placement of Delinquent Accounts	$9,000,000
Internet Listing Of Delinquent Taxpayers	$1,700,000
Increase Vending Machine Decal Fees	$3,000,000
Sales Tax Permit Fees	$1,100,000
Fee Increases to GR	$5,643,139
Compsource Market Equalization	$8,000,000
1017 Fund Increase over Estimate for FY-2009	$24,600,000
Total Revenue Enhancements	$ 83,450,788
3. Transfers
Transfer from Cash Flow Reserve Fund	$150,000,000
Transfer from Agency Revolving Fund	$56,000,000
Total Transfers	$206,000,000
4. Efficiency Reforms
Purchasing Reform	$35,000,000
IT Consolidations	$10,000,000
Total Efficiency Reforms	$45,000,000
TOTAL REVENUE	$7,090,341,786
Expenditures
1. Appropriations Made by 2008 Legislature	$7,192,763,490
2. Less: FY-2008 Supplementals	$(103,623,566)
3. Less: One-Time Expenditures	$(22,457,255)
4. Less: One-Time Revenues	$(123,983,090)
5. Governor	$(139,343)
6. Lieutenant Governor	$(33,091)
7. Agriculture Cabinet	$(3,430,160)
8. Commerce/Tourism Cabinets	$7,245,965
9. Education Cabinet	$39,535,543
10. Energy/Environment Cabinet	$(4,413,640)
11. Finance and Revenue Cabinet	$(7,232,891)
12. Health Cabinet	$110,200,467
13. Human Resources and Administration Cabinet	$(2,538,416)
14. Human Services Cabinet	$2,536,627
15. Military Cabinet	$(162,266)
16. Safety and Security Cabinet	$630,630
17. Science and Technology	$(5,579)
18. Secretary of State Cabinet	$3,062,792
19. Transportation Cabinet	$(30,296)
20. Veterans' Cabinet	$(21,008)
21. Legislature	$(2,120,189)
22. Judiciary	$(889,375)
23. FY-2009 Supplementals	$5,400,000
Total Recommended Expenditures	$7,090,295,348
Balance / (shortage) of funds available	$46,439

Budget background

See also: Oklahoma state budget and finances

The Oklahoma state fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30. On October 1 all of the state's agencies submit their budget requests to the Governor and the Legislature. The Governor presents his proposed budget the first Monday in February. From February through April state officials deliberate on the proposed budget. By early June the Governor evaluates any and all changes before a final decision is approved.

The Oklahoma Policy Institute notes that, "Oklahoma's state and local governments face a long-term fiscal gap in which ongoing revenues will not be enough to pay ongoing spending commitments. The fiscal gap results from rapidly increasing health care costs, an aging population, and commitments for employee and retiree benefits."

Budget figures

The following table provides a history of Oklahoma's expenditures and gross domestic product (GDP).

Fiscal Year	Expenditures (billions)	GDP (billions)
2000	$15.9	$89.8
2001	$18.3	$94.3
2002	$20.7	$97.2
2003	$20.8	$103.5
2004	$20.8	$111.5
2005	$22.0	$120.8
2006	$23.9	$130.1
2007	$26.0	$140.2
2008	$28.3	$149.2
2009	$30.8*	$159.8*

• NOTE: The figures for FY 2009 are not finalized.
• See Oklahoma state budget (2008-2009) for more information.

See also: Oklahoma government accounting principles

The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector audits state and local agencies in the state, publishing its audit reports online. The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector is a statewide elected position serving a 4-year term. The office of Examiner and Inspector and the State Auditor was consolidated in a special election on July 22, 1975. Steve Burrage was appointed to the position by Gov. Henry on July 10, 2008 after the June 16, 2008 resignation of Jeff A. McMahan under indictment for accepting improper cash and gifts from an Oklahoma businessman.

The Institute for Truth in Accounting (IFTA) rates Oklahoma “Tardy” in filing the state’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) – The annual report of state and local governmental entities. IFTA rated 22 states timely, 22 states tardy, and 6 states as worst. IFTA does not consider Oklahoma's CAFRs, and those of the other states, to be accurate representations of the state’s financial condition because the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) basis does not include significant liabilities for the pension plans and for other post employment benefits, such as health care. Oklahoma's CAFRs are annual publications of the Oklahoma Office of State Finance and prepared by the Division of Central Accounting and Reporting. The Oklahoma State Comptroller directs the daily operations of the Division of Central Accounting and Reporting. Brenda Bolander is Oklahoma's State Comptroller and Michael Clingman is Director (appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate) of the Oklahoma Office of State Finance.

Credit Rating	Fitch	Moody's	S&P
Oklahoma	AA	Aa3	AA+

Budget transparency

Oklahoma OpenBooks is the name of the publicly available website created by the Oklahoma government. It discloses information about Oklahoma's spending and budget, and is managed by the Office of State Finance.

Government tools

The Oklahoma OpenBooks page provides a searchable database of state expenditures and revenues. How often the Office of State Finance updates the database varies, depending upon the type of information being updated. For example, payroll and expenditures information is updated monthly, whereas the list of vendors is updated annually.

The following table is helpful in evaluating the level of transparency provided by Oklahoma OpenBooks:

Criteria for evaluating spending databases

State Database	Searchability	Grants	Contracts	Line Item Expenditures	Dept/Agency Budgets	Public Employee Salary
Oklahoma OpenBooks	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y

See also: Evaluation of Oklahoma state website

Limitations and Suggestions

The site should post line-item expenditures.

Public employee salaries

Information about public employee salaries is available.

Economic stimulus transparency

• Oklahoma received an estimated $1,878,254,929 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan of 2009.

• Oklahoma established an economic recovery website to show how legislators and government officials in Oklahoma were spending Federal funds.

See also

Oklahoma government sector lobbying
Oklahoma state budget and finances
Oklahoma public pensions

External links

• State Budget Solutions, Oklahoma
• Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
• Oklahoma OpenBooks, official website
• Oklahoma Office of State Finance
• Study of State Budget Gaps
• Oklahoma Government spending
• Model transparency legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council is available at this link.

Additional reading

• Gov. Brad Henry's State of the State Address 2009 (dead link)
• News On 6, "Lawmakers to Meet and Discuss State Budget Crisis," January 3, 2010