Georgia Revenue Primer for State Fiscal Year 2022
Introduction
Georgia plans to spend $27.3 billion in state money raised through taxes and fees for the 2022 fiscal year. The budget maintains nearly $850 million in cuts from FY 2020 levels, a reduction equivalent to cutting approximately 4 percent of General Funds from the budget.
Although lawmakers restored about half of the previous year’s cuts to K-12 education, public schools remain underfunded by $416 million compared to pre-pandemic levels. The budget also maintains $145 million in cuts to higher education, $44 million in cuts to health services and programs and continued cuts to the Departments of Human Services and Labor and other critical agencies. Some federal funding provided under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was sent directly to agencies; however, these dollars are meant to address additional needs due to COVID-19, not help fund the basic services agencies provide.