Candidate Gerlach: 2 Year Budget Cycle

Republican Jim Gerlach says if he’s elected governor of Pennsylvania, he’ll push for a two-year budget cycle.
Congressman Gerlach, who’s running against Attorney General Tom Corbett and State Representative Sam Rohrer in next year’s GOP primary, says a two-year budget cycle would give lawmakers more time to hold state departments accountable and inspect their spending.
He says he’d also push for what he calls “results-based budgeting,” which would place every agency at a zero-base funding level when the appropriations process begins.

"Programs would have to meet clearly defined performance goals and objectives before any new budget increase would be approved. And if the program fails to meet its targets over a multi-year period, the program would be ended and the funding pulled."

Gerlach’s reform package would also dock the governor and lawmakers’ pay if a budget isn’t passed on time. Several former statewide office holders, including Governors Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker, have endorsed Corbett, but Gerlach says that won’t deter his run. He says party officials boosting up one candidate before the primary “creates a disservice” to voters.