PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island’s state budget officer says the state is facing a budget deficit of $158 million beginning in July of next year.
The figure represents a gap between projected revenue and what it would cost to continue offering every service currently provided by the state.
WPRI-TV reports that whoever is serving as governor in January - either incumbent Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo or one of her challengers - will have to deliver a budget plan within weeks of the swearing-in ceremony.
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Raimondo has already directed state agencies to come up with ways to shrink their budgets by 5 percent in order to address the projected deficit.
It is possible the budgetary gap will grow or shrink in coming months.
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