STATE OF ILLINOIS

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 62706

JB Pritzker
GOVERNOR

MEMORANDUM

To:

All Governor’s Cabinet Directors

From:

Dan Hynes, Deputy Governor, Budget & Economy
Alexis Sturm, Director, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget

Subject:

Fiscal Year 2021 Spending Efficiencies Proposals

Date:

September 9, 2019

Although the spring legislative session produced a successful balanced budget for fiscal year
2020, Illinois continues to face significant financial challenges, and we must continue to be wise
fiscal stewards of the limited resources of State government. The State’s backlog of unpaid
general funds bills that were left behind by the previous administration remained in excess of
$7 billion as of June 30, 2019,1 and the extensive bill payment delays continue to strain the
State’s network of providers and translate into millions of dollars of unnecessary interest costs.
In that context, it remains essential that agency leadership continue to evaluate current
operations and procedures and set parameters for operational expenses in all agencies.
Directions regarding submissions of fiscal year 2021 budget requests will be forthcoming in a
few weeks from GOMB; however, even now, agency directors – working in conjunction with
their Deputy Governor and GOMB staff – should be prepared to:
1) Propose in your annual submission to GOMB an actionable scenario that includes
operational efficiencies reflecting a 6.5% reduction from an estimated maintenance

1

According to the Comptroller’s Debt Transparency Report, the June 30, 2019 estimated pending backlog of bills
totaled $7.278 billion.
https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/comptroller/assets/File/DTA/ReportSummary/ReportSummaryPeriodEnding201906
.pdf

 level of fiscal year 2021 operations funding across all appropriated funds (additional
details will be forthcoming in GOMB’s budget submission request forms);
2) Conduct a review of boards and commissions within your agency’s purview and propose
elimination of statutorily created boards and commissions that would lead to a 10%
reduction of them;
3) Identify at least two significant efficiency and savings ideas for consideration in the fiscal
year 2021 budget. Ideas could include (but are not limited to) items such as elimination
or consolidation of duplicative programs, reduction in funding for underutilized or
inefficient services, or improvements in service delivery that streamline costs. Reviews
of agency audits from the last few years can provide ideas for cost savings for fiscal year
2021.
Your proposal will need to be submitted with your fiscal year 2021 budget request to GOMB.
Agency directors should be prepared to implement any ideas submitted in the fiscal year 2021
budget requests. We and our staffs are available to discuss this memo and answer any
questions you may have.