Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - Proposition  4 sets up a system in which all tax revenues —with only limited exceptions —are counted at some level of government (for example, the state, or a city, county, or school district). Funds transferred between these entities of government are counted at some part of the structure.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

The 2025-26 Budget: Undertaking Fiscal Oversight

Feb 24, 2025 - Where the state has implemented expansions of state-federal partnerships, however, there typically is greater fiscal flexibility. Can the Entire Program Be Evaluated, or Should Oversight Focus on Specific Components?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4983

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - Moreover, specific budgetary conditions occurring this year —including legislative action taken last year to withdraw more in reserves this year —make interpretation of the budget position more complex.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2024-25 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 2, 2024 - Makes Additional Adjustments to Address the Budget Problem. To address the budget problem, the budget also makes several other funding changes: Postpones Infrastructure Funding for the City of Fresno.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4934

The 2024-25 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 2, 2024 - Makes Additional Adjustments to Address the Budget Problem. To address the budget problem, the budget also makes several other funding changes: Postpones Infrastructure Funding for the City of Fresno.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4934/governors-office-of-emergency-services

The Definition of Qualified Capital Outlay for the State Appropriations Limit

Feb 18, 2022 - Similarly, maintenance of assets, like the labor costs for making repairs, also can be excluded as long as the underlying asset meets the criteria above. However, we would not consider purchases of equipment or personal property that do not improve the underlying asset excludable.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4547

Flexible Funding to California in the American Rescue Plan

Mar 23, 2021 - Cities and counties will receive fiscal recovery funds based on a set of formulas that considers the jurisdiction ’s population, among other factors. The federal government will distribute funds directly to all counties and cities with populations greater than 50,000.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4407

California's Legislative Analyst's Office and the Value of Independence

Nov 15, 2024 - A nonpartisan and independent assessment of the state ’s fiscal trajectory, developed on its behalf, ensures the Legislature has a credible basis for making its own budget decisions. The added complexity from the alternative revenue estimates making this possible is a worthwhile price to pay.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4938

The 2017-18 Budget: Alternatives to the Governor’s Proposition 2 Proposals

Feb 23, 2017 - In particular, we highlight cases where our estimate of potentially eligible debts differs from the administration. Figure 3 Liabilities Potentially Eligible for Proposition 2 Debt Payment Funds (In Billions)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3574

The State Appropriations Limit

Apr 21, 2021 - A substantial majority of cities and counties ( 82  p ercent of counties and 70  p ercent of cities) have spending at or below 60  p ercent of their limits. Collectively, counties have nearly $ 100  b illion while cities have $ 55  b illion in collective room under their limits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4416