Washington state budget (2010-2011)

Note: This article was last updated in 2011. Click here for more recent information on state budgets and finances.

For the 2011 budget year, the Washington state legislature passed a state budget on April 13, 2010, at the conclusion of a special session. On May 4, 2010, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a revenue package that adjusted the previously passed two-year state budget, which lasted through mid-2011. Two other special sessions were required to close a projected $1.1 billion shortfall in FY2011.

Washington had total state debt of $30,455,510,003 when calculated by adding the total of outstanding debt, pension and OPEB UAAL’s, unemployment trust funds and the 2010 budget gap as of July 2010.

2011 State spending & deficit in billions

Total spending	Pension	Healthcare	Education	Government	Protection	Natural resources	Other
$32.1	$1.9	$10.3	$17.3	$0.8	$1.6	$0.3	$0.47

2011 Local spending & deficit in billions

Total spending	Pension	Healthcare	Education	Welfare	Protection	Transport	Deficit
$47.2	$0.2	$3.4	$11.6	$1.8	$3.6	$5.8	$48.3

2009-11 Biennial State Budget

See also: Archived Washington state budgets

Find the state’s FY2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) compiled by the state government here.

Special Sessions

In Dec. 2010, the National Conference of State Legislatures said that the state faced a midyear shortfall of $1.1 billion, which represented 7.1% of the FY2011 state budget. Lawmakers met in a special session in December 2010 and cut about $590 million from that shortfall.

Gov. Gregoire signed an order on September 13, 2010, that would require budget cuts. The cuts would be around 6.3%, which was required to balance the budget before the end of the fiscal year in June 2011.

Gov. Gregoire signed on May 19, 2009, the 2009–11 biennial budget passed by the Washington State Legislature that addressed a potential $9 billion shortfall (March 2009 estimate) for the coming two-year period.

The 2009–11 biennial budget signed in May 2009 closed the $9 billion shortfall by:

• $3.3 billion in program cuts
• $3 billion with the federal Recovery Act funds
• $2.1 billion by freezing state pay levels and transferring funds
• $400 million from the state's Rainy Day Fund
• $300 million from early reductions

Budget background

See also: Washington state budget and finances

Washington operates on a biennium budget. The biennium includes a 24-month period from July 1st of odd-numbered years to June 30th of odd-numbered years, such as the 2009-11 biennium, which runs from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011. According to state law the Governor was required to submit a budget recommendation by December. Although the biennium includes two fiscal years, an approved budget the legislature can modify the budget through changes to the original appropriations. This can be done in any legislative session. Since 1979, the House and the Senate enact revisions annually to the state’s biennial budget. These revisions were referred to as supplemental budgets.

Sources of State Revenues − All Governmental Funds 2009-11 Biennium Estimates

Taxes	$32.2 billion
Federal Grants	$19.5 billion
Licenses, Permits, Fees	$1.9 billion
Charges and Miscellaneous Revenues	$18.2 billion
Total	$71.8 billion

Budget figures

The state's budget shortfall had increased to $2.8 billion.

Fiscal Year	General Funds Expenditures	% Change from Previous Year
1997-1999	$39,397,275,000	--%
1999-2001	$44,535,542,000	13.0%
2001-2003	$49,527,904,000	10.1%
2003-2005	$53,463,296,000	7.9%
2005-2007	$60,517,243,000	13.2%
2007-2009	$69,176,280,000	14.3%

General Fund

Category	FY2009 Amount in millions Actual	FY 2010 Amount in millions Estimated
Beginning Balance	790	189
Revenues	13,089	13,791
Adjustments	928	392
Total Resources	14,807	14,373
Expenditures	14,617	14,848
Adjustments	0	0
Ending Balance	189	-476
Budget Stabilization Fund	21	96

Fiscal 2010 Tax Collections Compared With Projections Used in Adopting Fiscal 2010 Budgets (Millions)

Category	Amount
Sales Tax Original Estimate	7,551
Sales Tax Current Estimate	7,031

• See Washington state budget (2008-2009) for more information

Accounting principles

The Washington State Auditor's Office looks at financial information and compliance with state, federal and local laws on the part of all local governments, including schools, and all state agencies, including institutions of higher education. The State Auditor's Office publishes its audit reports online. The State Auditor's Office was established in the state's Constitution as part of the executive branch of state government. Washington citizens elect the State Auditor to four‑year terms. Brian Sonntag had been State Auditor since first elected in 1992.

Victor A. Moore was appointed Director of OFM in January 2005. The Office of Financial Management:

• Plays a central role in budget planning, policy development, and fiscal administration for the executive branch.
• Prepares the executive budget proposal and monitors budget implementation.
• Maintains state government's statewide accounting systems, central books of accounts, and financial databases while also providing accounting services to state agencies.
• Oversees statewide personal service contracting activities.
• Conducts executive policy research and develops legislation to support the Governor's policy goals.
• Provides estimates of state and local population, monitors changes in the state economy and labor force, and conducts research on a variety of issues affecting the state budget and public policy.
• Provides a comprehensive risk management program for all state agencies.

Credit Rating	Fitch	Moody's	S&P
Washington	AA	Aa1	AA+

See also

Washington state budget and finances