Blog that supports USC Aiken APLS494I South Carolina Politics class taught in Summer Session I, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
State Budgeting and Finance – Question 6
Question for Matt S.Discuss South Carolina’s two reserve funds and how the operate.
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
South Carolina has two major reserve funds, they are the General Reserve Fund and the Capital Reserve Fund. The General Reserve Fund is in place to help the state when expenditures are exceeding anticipated revenues during the fiscal year. The GRF is supposed to keep a balance equal to 3% of the previous fiscal year’s revenue collections. All money that is borrowed from the fund has to be paid back, this can be paid back in terms of one percent for three years until it is back to balanced. However, there are always problems, especially if the state has bad economic years in a row. When the state is not getting enough money to fund operations then the next budget can start cutting some of the monies so the general reserve fund can be restored. The Capital Reserve Fund is a part of each budget in every year. Unlike the GRF is does not have to be paid back if used. Two percent of the previous year’s collected revenues is put into each general appropriations bill. I believe this helps with increasing the money to make sure everything is covered. This fund is used to pay for large items that are not always in a budget every year, such as: capital projects, repayment of debt, or other nonrecurring purposes. At the end of each fiscal year the fund is subject to strict reviewing to make sure no mismanagement has taken place or even fraud. This fund steps in to cover when revenues in the state fall short of their need, the CRF fills the gap. However, if there is any money left after March 1 of that fiscal year then the legislature has the discretion of what it gets spent on.
Another really good answer -- you should separate the two funds with a paragraph on each one.
As you mention at the end, when there are not shortfalls that the CRF needs to cover, it can be spent. This is usually the case and legislators love spending this money on projects in their districts!
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2 comments:
South Carolina has two major reserve funds, they are the General Reserve Fund and the Capital Reserve Fund. The General Reserve Fund is in place to help the state when expenditures are exceeding anticipated revenues during the fiscal year. The GRF is supposed to keep a balance equal to 3% of the previous fiscal year’s revenue collections. All money that is borrowed from the fund has to be paid back, this can be paid back in terms of one percent for three years until it is back to balanced. However, there are always problems, especially if the state has bad economic years in a row. When the state is not getting enough money to fund operations then the next budget can start cutting some of the monies so the general reserve fund can be restored. The Capital Reserve Fund is a part of each budget in every year. Unlike the GRF is does not have to be paid back if used. Two percent of the previous year’s collected revenues is put into each general appropriations bill. I believe this helps with increasing the money to make sure everything is covered. This fund is used to pay for large items that are not always in a budget every year, such as: capital projects, repayment of debt, or other nonrecurring purposes. At the end of each fiscal year the fund is subject to strict reviewing to make sure no mismanagement has taken place or even fraud. This fund steps in to cover when revenues in the state fall short of their need, the CRF fills the gap. However, if there is any money left after March 1 of that fiscal year then the legislature has the discretion of what it gets spent on.
Matt Spivey
Another really good answer -- you should separate the two funds with a paragraph on each one.
As you mention at the end, when there are not shortfalls that the CRF needs to cover, it can be spent. This is usually the case and legislators love spending this money on projects in their districts!
Bob B
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