As legislative leaders and the Governor try and find common ground on a budget deal for the upcoming fiscal year, this week Comptroller Leslie Munger outlined how a failure to reach a budget agreement by July 1 will impact residents and organizations throughout the state. Munger echoed Senate Republican lawmakers and the Governor’s calls for reform, saying that these structural changes are critical to making the state more competitive and should come before any discussion about new revenue.
While the Comptroller said the state will continue to make payments authorized in the current Fiscal Year 2015—which includes the state’s existing $5 billion backlog—she will not have the appropriations authority to make new payments beginning in the new fiscal year that begins July 1. This could result in delayed payments to Medicaid providers, and beginning July 15 she would be unable to issue paychecks for state employees.
However, Munger noted that not all payments would automatically cease. Debt payments and payments for pension and retiree benefits would continue, as well as checks for some programs that provide assistance for needy families, seniors and the blind. Certain payments to local governments would also continue.