OKLAHOMA CITY — Public Safety Commissioner Michael Thompson said Wednesday he is considering several options after his agency took a dramatic funding cut.
Options include a reduction in force and furloughs for the agency, which includes the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Thompson said.
He said if the agency is forced to do furloughs, potential targets will be “everyone at the Department of Public Safety, including me.”
The agency’s appropriation dropped to $83 million for fiscal year 2017 from $93.5 million the prior year, Thompson said, adding that the agency has a payroll of $128 million.
“I really do believe there was some kind of miscommunication along the line in the budgeting process,” Thompson said. “People didn’t understand what the $83 million will do to us.”
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Thompson said he was not trying to point fingers or be critical. He said he is working with governor’s office and legislative leadership. He plans to seek supplemental funding.
The agency has already offered voluntary buyouts and does not plan to have a cadet academy for fiscal year 2017, Thompson said.
Lawmakers had $1.3 billion less to spend in crafting the fiscal year budget due to depressed energy prices, tax cuts and failure to reduce the number of tax credits and incentives given in an effort to generate economic activity.
A worsening revenue failure in fiscal year 2016 meant automatic cuts to state agencies.
Some funding could be restored because the cuts may have been deeper than required. A decision should be announced next week, said John Estus, a spokesman for the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
“The governor is aware of the situation and is looking for solutions,” said Michael McNutt, a spokesman for Gov. Mary Fallin. “The state will know later in July if it may have some money available after closing of the fiscal year budget, which ended June 30. That money may be available to distribute to agencies.”
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, said lawmakers passed fee increases to mitigate the cut to DPS, but at the same time, every agency took a cut this year, even if the agency was held flat or received a modest gain.
House Bill 3208 imposes a one-time $5 vehicle registration fee on top of existing fees. The fee is to be in force from July 1 until June 30, 2017.
The measure is expected to generate $14.8 million for the State Public Safety Fund and $3.7 million for the Oklahoma Tax Commission revolving fund, according to a fiscal impact study.
The agency also gets funding from other sources, such as the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, which uses troopers to patrol turnpikes.
A supplemental appropriation is not currently feasible and can’t be done until lawmakers return in February to the Capitol, Jolley said.
“At this point, I don’t see the governor calling us back for a supplemental to public safety,” Jolley said.
Senate Appropriations Vice Chairman Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he plans to meet with Thompson next week.
“If he and his agency can make the case they need that money to support troopers and public safety, we are always open to listening to that,” Treat said. “It is one of the highest priorities of state government.”
