Gov. Mike Braun said his administration has saved $37 million this year through renegotiated state contracts and more efficient vehicle expenses.
Braun said the budget savings are a result of his executive orders directing state agencies to operate more efficiently.
“If we are not running state government efficiently and in a sustainable way, we can’t make the investments,” Braun said.
Indiana Department of Administration Commissioner Brandon Clifton said the state has also avoided millions of dollars in future spending by leveraging the state’s purchasing power to lower costs.
“We are ensuring every dollar spent is accountable to taxpayers,” Clifton said.
READ MORE: Dozens of state employees laid off as budget cuts hit agencies
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The budget savings will be reverted into the state’s General Fund at the end of the fiscal year.
As he discussed the budget savings, Braun was asked what his message is for state employees who lost their jobs and Hoosiers whose programs have been cut due to the state budget crunch.
Braun said those losses were because state government had grown unsustainably.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.