Summary of LAO Findings and Recommendations on the 2011-12 Budget

Create a summary list by choosing a Policy Area OR Department below, and clicking Go.

   OR 
   

 
 
Program
Budget Issue		LAO Finding Or
Recommendation
Last Updated
 Go Back  Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation General Fund expenditures for correctional facilities. Delete the $8 million General Fund appropriation proposed by the Governor for completing the design of a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning project at Ironwood State Prison, as well as for minor projects and budget packages for future capital outlay projects, and instead support these projects from funds already appropriated from the General Fund in Chapter 7, Statutes of 2007 (AB 900, Solorio). 1-25-11

Detailed Narrative

 

The Governor’s budget provides a total of $8 million in additional General Fund to support infrastructure needs for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Specifically, the budget includes: (1) $6.1 million for completing the design of a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning project at Ironwood State Prison, (2) $1.2 million for various minor capital outlay projects, and (3) $750,000 to perform advance planning and prepare budget packages for future capital outlay projects.

Rather than appropriate additional General Fund resources for these projects and activities, we believe it would be more advantageous to use the funds already appropriated from the General Fund in Chapter 7, Statutes of 2007 (AB 900, Solorio). Specifically, AB 900 appropriated $300 million from the General Fund for infrastructure projects and planning. As of January 2011, CDCR has spent only $123 million of that $300 million, thus leaving a balance of $177 million available to support additional capital projects. Accordingly, we recommend that the Legislature fund the above projects and activities with the AB 900 General Fund appropriation and thereby achieve $8 million in General Fund savings. We note that in adopting the 2009-10 budget and the 2010-11 budget, the Legislature took similar actions to use the existing available funding from AB 900.