Budgets and deficits articles

  • Burlington Budget Deficit Balloons to $13.1 Million

    For months, Burlington officials have forecasted a $9 million deficit heading into the next fiscal year. On Thursday, that number grew to $13.1 million. Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak delivered the bad news at a press conference Thursday at city hall, where she was flanked by department heads. Higher-than-anticipated insurance costs and a calculation error are to blame for the $4 million difference, she said. The spending squeeze is the first major challenge for the newly elected mayor and...

  • Opinion: California's budget deficit will force difficult cuts. This one should be the easiest

    California is facing a multibillion-dollar budget deficit that will require lawmakers and the governor to make painful decisions. Nobody wants less funding for their child’s school, road maintenance, environmental progress or other essential services. There is one area, however, where spending can and should be cut: prisons. Thousands of California prison beds are not in use. Simply consolidating and closing some facilities could ultimately save the state hundreds of millions of dollars. This...

  • City of Santa Barbara grapples with projected $7-10 million budget deficit

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-The city of Santa Barbara is a renowned tourist destination, but that doesn't make it immune from budget challenges. "We are  projecting anywhere from a $7-to-10 million deficit in our general fund which funds our four core city services like police, fire, parks and recreation an library," said finance director Keith DeMartini "it