State agencies told to trim budget requests

The Bredesen administration has told state government departments to look for savings of between $45 million and $160 million in next year’s budget.
Finance and Administration commissioner Dave Goetz told The Tennessean the move is the first step in writing a budget document for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2011.
Goetz said state agencies have been asked to trim spending next year between 1 percent and 3 percent. Some departments had to pare 9 percent from the current spending plan.
Though the current administration has begun writing the budget proposal, a new governor will take office in January.
The state budget that the legislature approved for this fiscal year is $29.9 billion.