Less money for state-funded maintenance after property taxes lag
California’s public universities, state parks and other institutions will get less money to pay for overdue maintenance than they hoped, according to Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration.
The new budget, which took effect July 1, would have set aside more funds for upkeep if property tax revenue outpaced expectations. Instead, the revenue fell short by $72.6 million in the fiscal year that ended last month.
Up to $200 million could have been spent on maintenance, including $50 million each for the University of California and California State University, if property tax revenue had been stronger.
Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) issued a statement saying she was disappointed, but promised that lawmakers would consider additional funding for higher education next month.
Even though local taxes lagged, state revenue has continued to exceed targets, finishing almost $400 million above expectations for the last fiscal year.
“Higher education funding remains a top priority for Assembly Democrats, and we will continue working for long-term funding increases to ensure all our students have access to the world-class education our universities provide,” Atkins said.
Follow @chrismegerian for more updates from Sacramento.
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