Fiscal Analysis Services
Fiscal Analysis Services provides the General Assembly with "second-opinion" reviews of legislative fiscal impact statements, annual reviews of State spending, oversight of expenditure forecasting, and special reports related to the State budget.
JLARC Report In Brief
Review of State Spending: 2009 Update
Virginia's operating budget increased by 73 percent between fiscal years 2000 and 2009, a result of increasing prosperity, population growth, and policy decisions. The growth was 46 percent in general funds and 103 percent in non-general funds. Adjusting for the effects of inflation and population growth, the budget increased by 28 percent.
The ten-year period underreview includes the economic downturn in FY 2002 when general fund appropriations declined 2.2 percent, as well as the significant growth experienced in FY 2005.
Much of the ten-year, $15.7 billion growth was concentrated in core functions of State government: education, health care, transportation, and social services. For example, 54 percent of all budget growth occurred in just four agencies: the Departments of Medical Assistance Services, Education, Transportation, and the University of Virginia(including the Medical Center).
General fund growth was also concentrated in a few agencies, largely reflecting policy choices and initiatives of the Governor and General Assembly. The ten agencies each receiving more than $100 million in new general funds during the period accounted for 96 percent of all general fund growth.
| Report No. 392: Nov 2009, 72 pages | Report (pdf) | Briefing (pdf) |