State economists will have a much better fix on things in September but one of the state’s top analysts said the upcoming budget deficit is more likely to remain below $6 billion as opposed to an upper end estimate cited by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum on the campaign trial earlier this week.
Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research, said Friday that preliminary data tend to support previous estimates of a $6 billion shortfall.
McCollum, during a recent debate with Republican rival Rick Scott, said the budget gap could rise to as high as $8 billion.
Baker said McCollum was likely relying on earlier Legislative budget documents that laid out several scenarios, including an immediate infusion of cash into the Florida Retirement System, and fully funding the state’s critical concerns and other high priority items that could be put off if need be. Those figures approached $8 billion. Revenue estimators are expected to meet in September to re-tweak the state’s economic forecast.
The News Service of Florida
