April 28 -- These are unsettling budget times in Tennessee state government. I know that each of you would like to have a better understanding of what is going on and what our budget for the next fiscal year will be.
Sadly, we just can't see, from where we sit, what is going on at this time.
There currently are multiple discussions occurring in the legislature, but no clear path to a balanced budget has been determined. The difficulty of this situation is that none of us know how we will be individually impacted.
I can tell you that the reigning sense here is that state employees are extremely valuable and that every effort should be made to avoid further staff reductions. I can also tell you that it could be weeks or even months before we have a final budget for the next fiscal year. I would encourage all of us to make every effort to keep our focus on the people we serve during this difficult time. There is little that any of us can do at this point to impact the budget decisions being made. We can however, make a positive difference for those we serve. Thank you for all you do every day for our children and families.
- Viola Miller
