Resources for Understanding Alabama's Budget Process
As February approaches, the Legislature is preparing to return to Montgomery for yet another tough session of struggling with Alabama’s budgets. The Governor’s Office is in the process of crafting a proposed plan and budget. The Legislature has already begun its process of reviewing budget requests from state agencies. PARCA’s annual meeting, to be held […]
PARCA Annual Survey of Public Opinion 2016
In January 2016, The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama conducted its annual poll of public opinion. This is the 10th year of the survey. This year, the survey focuses on revenue and spending in state government. The survey touches on multiple topics: taxes, education, Medicaid, highways, public safety, courts, state parks, and others. The […]
Lowest Per Capita Tax Collections in the Nation
Alabama once again ranks last in per capita state and local tax collections, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Alabama has consistently maintained its No. 50 ranking since the early 1990s. As a result, Alabama state and local governments have less to spend than governments in other states when providing services […]
From Governing: How Mobile, Alabama, Used Instagram to Address Blight
Like many cities, Mobile, Ala., didn’t even know how many blighted properties it had. Instagram offered a cheap and simple way to start figuring that out. Mobile’s use of social media tools to combat urban blight is featured in a recent post on Governing Magazine’s States and Localities blog. Read about the work of Mobile’s […]
General Fund Sputters Along
Despite the healthy economy, the state’s General Fund posted its usual sputtering performance in 2015, according to the state’s year-end revenue collection reports. The General Fund, which supports the non-education functions of state government, received about $1.8 billion in 2015, up from approximately $1.7 billion in 2014. However, that total includes a $105 million transfer […]
PARCA Talks State Budget
With the passage of the state’s general fund budget last week, PARCA Senior Research Associate Tom Spencer took a moment to sit down with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager to provide an overview of the budget and how some of the key departments will be affected. “Medicaid, prisons, and education had strategic plans in place,” said Spencer. […]
Back to the Basics on Taxes and Budgeting
With the Governor and Legislature still at odds over how to solve a $250 million shortfall in the state’s General Fund, we thought it would be useful to again call attention to two essential underlying problems that explain why we are in the current predicament. PARCA has written about both recently and, over the past […]
Governor Pledges Bold Action on the Budget at PARCA Annual Meeting
Speaking before a sell-out crowd of more than 400 at the Harbert Center on Friday, Feb. 13, Gov. Robert Bentley said he will propose bold solutions in the face of a steep budget shortfall. In his luncheon address, Bentley said that during his first term he had held the line on spending, shrunk the state […]
PARCA Poll of Public Attitudes on Taxes, Education, Corrections and Medicaid
According to a new poll of public opinion commissioned by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, state residents would be willing to pay more in taxes to avoid budget cuts in key areas like education, health care, and public safety. However, the public remains distrustful of government’s ability to spend tax dollars wisely. The […]
Court cost collections continue to sag
In tough budget years, lawmakers have often looked for alternative ways to bring in revenue to support state government operations. In the case of the judicial branch of government, the Legislature has repeatedly raised the charges, fees and fines charged to the users of the court system, shifting much of the cost burden for court operations to […]