Georgia House Speaker David Ralston predicted before a packed room Monday that the state's budget is going to suffer further woes for the next fiscal year.
"We've got a challenge next year because as bad as this year's budget was, next year's is going to be worse," Ralston told a crowd of several hundred at the 70th annual Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce Meeting and Banquet.
Ralston, a Republican and the state's District 7 representative, described some of the $4 billion in cuts made over the past two years as "tough" and "unpopular." But making those cuts and thus balancing the budget, he emphasized, has resulted in no state tax increases.
"We've resisted the urge this session to raise your taxes," he said as the crowd applauded.
Despite the budget shortfalls he predicts for next year, Ralston said Georgians' "best days are still ahead."
"I'm a great believer in what my daddy used to teach me, that is whatever don't kill you makes you stronger," he said.
Amid the concentrations on the state's budget, Georgia's legislature has made progress in a state trauma care network, water conservation, transportation and ethics reforms regarding politicians and lobbyists and has been able to "hold the line" on funding for public education, Ralston said.
While Ralston was the keynote speaker, incoming Chamber Chairwoman Lynette Laughter also spoke about economic conditions.
"Although we accomplished a lot last year," she said, "we have much more ahead of us on which to work."
The Chamber's board chairman changes annually.
Outgoing Chairman David Gregg discussed the goals the Chamber set for the area before 2010. The goal for job creation was 475 annually, and since Jan. 1, 400 jobs have been added, he said.
"We're going to be working tirelessly," he said, "until all who seek a job have one."
Contact Michael Stone at 423-757-6673 or mstone@timesfreepress.com.