State Rep. Mark Ouimet calling on Legislature to switch to a 2-year budget cycle
State Rep. Mark Ouimet, R-Scio Township, said today he's calling on the Michigan Legislature to adopt an immediate two-year budget cycle.
Citing a need to improve efficiency in the way the state handles taxpayer dollars, Ouimet said he is pushing the state House and Senate to voluntarily approve his plan.
Mark Ouimet
A formal budget could be adopted for the current year, while a second projected budget could be created for the second year, he said.
"The haphazard approach to state budgeting where lawmakers are forced to approve accounting gimmicks and short-term fixes to balance the budget must become a thing of the past," Ouimet said in a statement. "It's not efficient, it's not practical, and it's a disservice to our schools and local governments who need to know how much revenue they are receiving."
Ouimet has introduced House Joint Resolution I, which would change the state constitution to require a two-year budget cycle. If the measure is adopted by the Legislature, it would have to be formally approved by Michigan voters as a ballot initiative.
In recent years, the state has been unable to balance its budget until late September, or in some cases, after the Oct. 1 deadline. That has resulted in two government shutdowns, Ouimet noted.
He said local governments and public schools must know how much financial support they're getting from the state by early summer to properly plan their budgets.
Creating a two-year budget cycle has the support of Gov. Rick Snyder, who discussed the issue in his recent State of the State address.
Ouimet has hands-on experience working with two-year budget cycles as a former Washtenaw County commissioner.
"A two-year budget cycle is a more proactive, thoughtful approach that will allow us to use taxpayer dollars more efficiently," Ouimet said. "The greatest chess players will tell you that they think two or three moves ahead, and it's time elected officials in Lansing do the same by taking a more long-term focused approach to state budgeting."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Roadman
Sat, Jan 29, 2011 : 2:52 a.m.
Sounds like some intelligent and learned thinking from Mark Ouimet. Looks like he is putting that LaSalle MBA training of his to good work.
WTF
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 11:29 p.m.
Does this guy have more handlers than Sarah Palin?
Ron Granger
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 4:54 p.m.
So now Ouimet wants his expense reports to float for TWO years before anyone looks at them? As others have expressed, I can't take him seriously and he has lost all respect as a "representative" of the people. And the foot-dragging on releasing the report on those expenses has gone on far too long. We read in December that the report was complete and pending final review. Over a month has passed, and it still has not been released.
Ignatz
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.
So, the same group of people who play games with the budget to the point of a government shutdown are going to be fooled by this ploy? Those who desire to gum up the works will find another way to do it and not have to wait for two years. In the meantime, the lengthened budget cycle will reduce the legislature's ability to more quickly react to whatever annual changes may occur. This sounds like a red herring.
David Briegel
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
Ghost, spending and pork are only bad when Dems do it. We just gave the keys to the Bridge to Nowhere cartel ! Guys like Dr Ouimet provide the means/votes to git r dun !!
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:58 p.m.
"The Federal Government has no budget Obama is bankrupting the nation" Ummmmm, actually, no. At least not compared to Bush. The last Bush budget ran a $1.9 Trillion deficit The first Obama budget ran a $1.6 Trillion deficit The second Obama budget WAS PROJECTED to run a $1.2 Trillion deficit until Republicans forced him to give the top 1% in this country a $300 billion tax break for each of the next two years. Yet, even with that gift, this year's deficit is predicted to go DOWN by $100 billion. Bush inherited a nearly balanced budget from Clinton. Over the next 8 years he and his Congressional buddies increased the national debt from $5.8 Trillion to $11.9 Trillion. But we wouldn't want to let facts get in the way of our belief that Obama is responsible for this fiscal basket case that our nation has become. Good Night and Good Luck
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:37 p.m.
This is a gimmick and all who think it a good idea have swallowed it hook--line--and sinker (to mix my metaphors). First, and most importantly, the Michigan Constitution won't allow it. Second, this state has had a difficult time predicting its revenues and expenses only a few months in advance. There is no way a meaningful budget can be put together that will stand up for two years. If this is an example of how Snyder and Companies (i.e., the corporate world he represents--and let's face it, Ouimet is a small and unimportant cog in that machine) are going to "help" our state . . . . well . . . . bend over and assume the position. Good Night and Good Luck
jondhall
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:59 p.m.
Two years down the road, what a novel idea! Who would have thought that, I thought they did it on a spend as you need basis, what is a budget? The Federal Government has no budget Obama is bankrupting the nation, believe me he is, watch what happens when interest rates rise. They are currently 50% of what has been traditional, when they get back to normal and they will, our interest debt alone will double. What a joke and who voted for this character, quote me he is bankrupting this country! Wake up America.
braggslaw
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 3:09 a.m.
Michigan's pension liabilities are in the 10's of billions. Soon the state govt. will have to reduce services and use most of the taxes it collects to pay pensions. Is the sole purpose of the state of Michigan to collect taxes and then disburse these taxes to state employee retirees? This is a ridiculous result and one a democratic society cannot tolerate. The taxpayers do not exist to pay salaries to unions and state employees.
Forever27
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:47 p.m.
Tax payers do exist to pay the salaries of state employees. That is the very nature of how the system works.
Cash
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:03 a.m.
Has this guy paid taxpayers back the money he took for reimbursements that he wasn't supposed to get from our County??? I find it hard to take financial advice from someone who owes me money.
Roadman
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:14 a.m.
I do not believe he has but he has promised to do so. Other commissioners have likewise so promised but I believe that only Leah Gunn has actually tendered a check. Let's keep this issue alive until all pay back.
Cash
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:02 a.m.
Has this guy paid taxpayers back the money he took for reimbursements that he wasn't supposed to get from our County??? I find it hard to take financial advice from someone who owes me money.
David Briegel
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:53 a.m.
Don't expect too much, after all, A2.com endorsed Dr Ouimet ! Why would the Republicans in charge have used "accounting gimmicks"? Just askin'.
johnnya2
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:49 a.m.
How would a two year budget help anything? When Rick Snyder was CEO of Gateway there was no two year budget. How would anybody be so presumptious as to forecast what will happen 24 months down the road? They are unable to accurately project for one year. Life changes too fast. Imagine a state doing this in 2006 for the 2008 budget which began October 1, 2008 (just prior to the collapse of the financial and housing industry). How would you reconcile putting that information together from a better time to a worse time. On the flip side, if the economy improved dramatically over two years (republicans seem to think Obama should have stopped unemployment in under two years based on November results). One of the problems with the state of California currently is that "direct democracy" has forced the state to do certain things and unable to do others. This dichotomy hand cuffs what the legislators can do. Michigan would end up in the same boat.The Headlee Amendment is a prime example of this. Michigan would be in better health if it had a 4% sales tax versus a 6% sales tax (a 50% increase under the fat father of the triplettes). Higher property taxes would actually have cooled the over heated housing market, and when it fell the retail environment would be in great shape over Ohio, Indiana, or Canada.
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:45 a.m.
excellent idea. And a nice complement would be to switch to a part time legislature.
MjC
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:35 a.m.
Ryan - It's hard for this AnnArbor.com reader to take anything Quimet proposes seriously. Not at least until I learn whether or not he finally paid all the money he owed for those County Commission per diem mispayments. Do you know the status of that mess? If he did pay up then maybe I can better understand this kind of thinking on his part: "The haphazard approach to state budgeting where lawmakers are forced to approve accounting gimmicks..." I'm just saying...
Brian Kuehn
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:06 a.m.
@DNTHFB: We should all concentrate more on what we need to do today and tomorrow and less on what someone should have done yesterday. I totally agree with your first statement but your second seems to be just a gratuitous shot at the Democrats. That fight was waged last November and they lost. Time to move forward and not waste energy on something we can't change, the past.
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 11:17 p.m.
A fine start. Could begin to rebuild confidence in a State. Less ability for the State to fool around with the budget. This is frankly a step that the Dems should have brought to the table about 6 years ago.
Brian Kuehn
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:05 a.m.
We should all concentrate more on what we need to do today and tomorrow and less on what someone should have done yesterday. I totally agree with your first statement but your second seems to be just a gratuitous shot at the Democrats. That fight was waged last November and they lost. Time to move forward and not waste energy on something we can't change, the past.
Brian Kuehn
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:05 a.m.
We should all concentrate more on what we need to do today and tomorrow and less on what someone should have done yesterday. I totally agree with your first statement but your second seems to be just a gratuitous shot at the Democrats. That fight was waged last November and they lost. Time to move forward and not waste energy on something we can't change, the past.
Brian Kuehn
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:04 a.m.
We should all concentrate more on what we need to do today and tomorrow and less on what someone should have done yesterday. I totally agree with your first statement but your second seems to be just a gratuitous shot at the Democrats. That fight was waged last November and they lost. Time to move forward and not waste energy on something we can't change, the past.