Gov. Gary Herbert unveils $16.7 billion budget proposal for Utah

KAYSVILLE — Declaring 2018 the "Year of Technical Education," Gov. Gary Herbert on Wednesday unveiled his $16.7 billion budget proposal at the Davis Technical College, emphasizing a fiscal package that dedicates 72 percent of new revenue to education.

Herbert's budget plan comes with no tax increase, new money to help the homeless, a funding plan to stave off tuition increases for college students, and a push to put more transportation dollars into mass transit options. It does not add any new debt and includes a rainy-day fund of $575 million.

The proposed budget is built on $382 million in new ongoing revenue, the lion's share of which will go to Utah's education system, including enrollment growth, teacher salaries, technology development and counseling. That new money — while a boost — represents less than 3 percent of the overall budget, Herbert said.

"{This budget} is rational, reasonable, responsible and reflective of the needs of the state now and into future," the governor said, speaking over the hum of massive computer-controlled cutting machines in a brightly lit classroom at the technology center.

Read more: https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900005653/gov-gary-herbert-unveils-dollar167-billion-budget-proposal-for-utah.html