The state economist delivered some good news in November about the state budget. A higher-than-expected adjusted gross income tax receipts from several large corporations reduced the budget deficit to $63 million for the state’s current biennial budget. Originally, the budget deficit was projected to be around $307 million.
Late summer, the Legislature’s chief budget writers requested state agencies to submit a list of potential cuts ranging from 2.5 to 5 percent. You can find the lists of cuts for the Department of Human Services, the Oregon Health Authority, and the Department of Housing and Community Services on NAO’s website. As of now, it’s unclear how these lists will be used. The Legislature will convene in February next to rebalance the state’s budget.
And speaking of the Department of Human Services, the Oregon Senate confirmed Liesl Wendt as its new director this month. Wendt has served as the agency’s deputy director. Prior to that, she was Multnomah County’s director of human services. Wendt has a background in nonprofits as the former director of 211 Info.