Exploring State Expenditures? Welcome to the Labyrinth

Patch is pleased to partner with Brian R. Hook, editor and investigative reporter for Missouri Watchdog, a news website dedicated to investigative journalism about local, state and federal government across Missouri. We've invited Hook to contribute a weekly column that describes what he's watching and why it's important for Missouri taxpayers.

How much does the Show-Me State spend each year?

There is no easy answer to that question, I am constantly told when I ask how much the Missouri government spends annually. Inevitably, I am also warned each time not to compare apples to oranges.

There are numerous financial reports floating around the halls of state government, all with different numbers. Then analysts and experts are always advising me to add or subtract this or that category for various reasons.

One thing is clear, though: Over time, state spending is on the rise.

Total expenditures have increased about 510 percent, from $3.9 billion in 1981 to an estimated $23.8 billion for this fiscal year. Over three decades, spending dropped twice, once by 2.8 percent in 1984 and by 4.7 percent in 2003.

The next fiscal year, which starts July 1, may be another of the rare exceptions to the upward trend.

Last week, the Missouri General Assembly, controlled by Republicans, passed a $23.3 billion budget for fiscal 2012. While the state budget plan is $132 million more than proposed in January by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, total expenditures during the next fiscal year are expected to drop by at least 1.9 percent.

Lawmakers immediately told me their budget is lower than the one proposed by the governor. But they referred to the general revenue portion of the total operating budget and left out capital improvements.

The total expenditures for 30 years, which have been assembled in a spreadsheet, are from the Executive Budget Book.

The totals, published earlier this week by Missouri Watchdog, are different than results found in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports and the Appropriation Activity Reports published each year.

As reported, comparing spending in the past with what is approved in a budget is difficult. There is appropriation authority in both fiscal 2011 and 2012 that will not be used. Therefore, the totals may go up or down.

Undoubtedly, the totals will be disputed for one reason or another. I decided to use the numbers from the Division of Budget and Planning in the Missouri Office of Administration because other financial reports may count appropriations twice, once when the funds are moved and again when separate appropriations are spent.

The fiscal 2012 budget also is not finalized. The governor could veto the entire budget or veto specific lines in the budget. The governor's decision about how to proceed is typically made in the third week in June. The governor also has the authority to restrict expenditures at anytime to ensure a balanced budget.

This all gets very tedious, and I always stress that my quest for a total is not partisan.

While elected officials and bureaucrats have been talking about budget cuts for years, total expenditures by the state government have continued to increase on the watch of both Democrats and Republicans.

I will leave it up to taxpayers to decide whether the spending increase is something they want. But if you will allow me to step up on a soapbox for a moment and proclaim an opinion, I have one statement:

It should not be this hard to figure out how much of your money the state is spending.

Contact Brian R. Hook by emailing brhook@missouriwatchdog.org or by calling 314-482-7944. For news updates, sign up for his newsletter and follow Missouri Watchdog on Twitter and Facebook.