On the surface, the governor’s budget recommendation for the Archives does not look that bad.
Of course, any cut is too much, given the amount of cuts the Archives already has endured.
Maybe, however, it really is that bad.
Last fall, Secretary of State Brian Kemp recommended a $730,000 cut and termination of seven of ten Archives employees. Gov. Nathan Deal later restored $125,000 to allow the Archives to stay open two days a week and two employees to be retained through the end of the fiscal year. The fiscal year ends on June 30.
Thus, the Archives will continue into the new fiscal year with a $605,000 cut. Since that cut already is in place, the figure was not included in the report issued by the Office of Planning and Budget last week.
On top of that, the governor is recommending an additional $70,000 cut for Fiscal Year 2014.
The University System of Georgia has yet to recommend to the legislature a Fiscal Year 2014 budget for the Archives. In addition, the USG may be able to provide essential services to the Archives that would loosen the Archives budget.
Regardless of what decisions come from the University System, it is more important than ever that every Archives supporter contacts his/her state legislator.
Vivian Price Saffold
GeorgiaArchivesMatters 