Wisconsin Ended Fiscal Year $313M In The Black

The state of Wisconsin ended last fiscal year with $313 million in the bank, a total that was less than previously expected.

The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau last predicted Wisconsin’s ending balance would be $390 million. The final number ended up being lower because the state generated less tax revenue than expected, LFB Director Bob Lang said.

The number would have been lower yet if the Walker administration hadn’t delayed repaying $101 million in state debt. That move freed up cash in the short term but will cost the state extra in future interest payments.

If nothing else changes, Wisconsin’s two-year budget would end with about $162 million in the bank next June. By comparison, the overall general fund budget spends more than $15 billion a year.