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Established as a separate entity in 1984, the Office of State Budget is responsible for the development and oversight of the process for preparing the annual state budget. This includes requests for funds, allocations of funds, and the responsible utilization of funds to achieve the needs of state government. The Office provides data to the Governor's Office for its use in making annual budget recommendations to the General Assembly and works closely with the legislature throughout the budgetary cycle.
Through its Budget Development Unit, the Office consults with and advises agencies on priorities, cost-effectiveness, and statewide considerations regarding agency plans and funding needs. Major funding issues are fully analyzed and developed into issue papers for staff consideration by the General Assembly. Formula funding is studied for efficiency and fairness. Fiscal impact statements on pending legislation are prepared as requested by legislative committees. Staff also review and make recommendations on transfers of funds as requested by agencies.
The Analysis and Reports Unit provides resources dedicated to budget research and policy development. It develops and sustains a variety of reports and procedures which support budgetary decision-making by the Governor's Office and General Assembly. These include budget requests and the preparation of analytical and historical budget reports, summaries, and other statistical information. This Unit is also responsible for monitoring and assisting in the control of the number of authorized full-time equivalent (FTE) positions in state government and for the local government fiscal impact team.
Grant Services, pursuant to the South Carolina Federal and Other Funds Oversight Act, serves as the State Clearinghouse for the intergovernmental review process, is responsible for the review and authorization of unanticipated Federal and Other funds received by state agencies, and annually prepares the Statewide Cost Allocation Plan.
The Capital Budgeting Unit (CBU), formerly Capital Improvements,
has oversight responsibility for the State's permanent improvement
projects program. The Unit takes all permanent improvement project
requests through the approval process with the Joint Bond Review
Committee and the Budget and Control Board and tracks project
budgets and expenditures. Related to the permanent improvement
activity, the Unit assists agencies in gaining approvals for land
acquisitions, donations and exchanges.
CBU facilitates the planning process for state agencies' capital
improvements programs through the Comprehensive Permanent
Improvement Plan (CPIP) which annually reflects all planned
permanent improvement project activity for the next five years.
The Unit reviews all plans and assists the Budget and Control
Board in approving projects in CPIP and making recommendations
for projects to be funded with capital improvements bond funds.
CBU also reviews and makes recommendations on agencies'
capital budget priorities, which are used to develop Capital
Improvement Bond Acts.
CBU works with state agencies and the State Treasurer's Office
in developing the bond draw schedules semi-annually, governing
the release of capital improvement bond funds for authorized
projects. The Unit also maintains the Statewide Permanent
Improvement Reporting System (SPIRS) for tracking the budgets
and expenditures of permanent improvement projects and distributes
monthly reports to agencies on project activity.
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