CONCORD – House Majority Leader Dick Hinch (R-Merrimack) today issued the following statement following reports that state agency heads have submitted budget requests for fiscal years 2018-19 totaling over $12.6 billion, roughly $1.4 billion or 12.5% more than authorized in the current operating budget.
House Majority Leader Dick Hinch (R-Merrimack):
“One way to show leadership in an executive role is to ensure your department heads know how to live within their means. In the context of state government, this means showing taxpayers that your team of appointees respects, cherishes, and will be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
“What we have here shows our state government’s inability to be mindful of the sensitive state our economy continues to be in. Our economy is growing, but that doesn’t mean our citizens are all getting a 12.5% raise – neither should state government. Over the last year we heard Governor Hassan voice her concerns over state tax revenue, saying that tax cuts would blow a large whole in future budgets. Yet, in the blink of an eye, agencies she oversees are coming back with explosive growth in their spending proposals. It seems disingenuous.”
“I ask the Governor to order her agencies to produce level-funded budget requests or at least something in the realm of reasonableness. This is no time for agencies to submit their biggest wish list to Santa. We have a solemn duty to manage taxpayer dollars in a respectful manner. To ask for anything more than level funding or modest increases at this time shows disregard for the taxpayers of New Hampshire. The Governor would have us believe she has special leadership qualities, now is the time to demonstrate those qualities and get a handle on this debacle.”