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Monday, May 11, 2009
Pepper expected to run statewide
Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper is expected to announce he’ll run for statewide office in 2010 at a press conference Tuesday, May 12, at Ohio Democratic Party headquarters in Columbus.
Gov. Ted Strickland, who has been looking for someone to join his 2010 ticket as lieutenant governor, will also speak at the press conference.
Party Chairman Chris Redfern declined to say whether Pepper is Strickland’s pick for lieutenant governor candidate.
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher is running for U.S. Senate in 2010 and faces a primary against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and state Rep. Tyrone Yates.
Pepper served on the Cincinnati City Council beginning in 2002 and was elected to the Hamilton County Commission in 2006.
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Strickland comes up with $150 million in savings
With the clock ticking toward June 30 and the end of this fiscal year, Gov. Ted Strickland’s administration has come up with about $150 million in savings to help fill a budget hole that could be bigger than $900 million.
Budget director Pari Sabety said on Monday, May 11, that savings from a Strickland executive order will account for about $98 million of the savings. The rest - about $52.8 million - will come from delaying some state debt payments.
The savings could help reduce the amount of money the state will have to use from the $948 million “rainy day” fund to close this year’s budget hole, said Sabety. The “rainy day” fund money was supposed to be used for the next two-year budget.
The executive order Strickland issued April 22 ordered state agencies to reduce spending for contracts, stop purchasing of supplies and make other cuts.
Meanwhile, the Ohio Public Facilities Commission voted 5-1 on Monday on the plan to free up the $52.8 million by delaying debt payments.
Tim Keen, Republican Auditor Mary Taylor’s representative, cast the only “no” vote.
The commission in February had voted to free up $400 million for the next two-year budget by delaying debt payments. The $52.8 million for this fiscal year was added to that on Monday.
Restructuring the debt to come up with cash now will cost the state about $100.6 million through 2021, according to a state analysis.
Sabety and Tax Commissioner Richard Levin last week revealed that there’s a hole in this year’s budget that could range from about $600 million to more than $900 million, largely due to plummeting revenue from personal income tax returns. Sabety said she should know more precisely the size of the hole by the start of June.
