Budget Miscalculation Means Another $55 Million in Cuts

The state is bracing for another $55 million in cuts after budget chief Benjamin Barnes announced Tuesday he had made a mistake in crafting the governor's biennial budget, which was rolled out last week.

Barnes, secretary of the Office of Policy Management, said his office detected a "potential discrepancy in its calculation of the expenditure cap growth rate for FY 2016."

He said the mistake stemmed from an issue with a vendor that helped calculate the state's spending cap.

According to Barnes, the formula used factored in data from the 2008 recession era, which led to a discrepancy of about $55 million between the actual spending cap and the one factored into Malloy's budget.

A spokesperson for the Office of Policy Management said the General Assembly will need to make an additional $55 million in cuts to account for the error.

"On behalf of the agency, I personally apologize for this discrepancy, and commit to working with [the Office of Fiscal Analysis] and the legislature to identify the adjustments necessary to ensure compliance with the expenditure cap," Barnes said in the statement.

He declined an interview request Tuesday.

It's not yet clear which areas will be affected by the additional cuts.

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