Budget woes worsening
Employee layoffs, $18 million deficit seen in the next year

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — While Navajo Nation employees are waiting for Controller Mark Grant, the Office of Management and Budget and the Budget and Finance Committee to pull a rabbit out of their collective hat and prevent employee layoffs next week, whatever magic act they come up with might not be enough to prevent layoffs in fiscal year 2010.

Grant and OMB’s Dominic Beyal explained Tuesday to the committee that the $14.1 million shortfall projected for FY2009 will impact the FY2010 budget, and that the shortfall for 2010 is projected at $18 million.

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