FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said Tuesday he is working closely with his Republican successor on the state’s annual spending plan, but that all decisions on budget cuts will be “in the hands of the new governor.”
Bredesen said his staff is assembling the outlines of the state’s nearly $30 billion spending plan even though his administration makes way for Gov.-elect Bill Haslam on Jan. 15.
“No one could start in January and prepare a budget in time,” Bredesen told reporters after a speech to the Tennessee Farm Bureau. “With that, all the final decisions about what gets funded and what doesn’t being in the hands of the new governor.”
While Bredesen’s budget plans have laid out how the state should deal with losing about $1 billion in federal stimulus money next year, Haslam has warned that the Legislature may have different ideas when faced with making the actual cuts.
Bredesen said he had a phone conversation with Haslam about administration issues on Monday, and that new governor is scheduled to be given a budget briefing on Wednesday.
Haslam has not yet named his finance commissioner, the Cabinet official traditionally in charge of state budget planning.
Haslam told reporters at another Farm Bureau event on Monday night that he doesn’t want to rush into making that appointment.
“I’m hiring somebody hopefully for four years,” Haslam said. “So the sooner the better, but we want to make certain that we have the right person in place.”
Haslam on Monday named Farm Bureau executive Julius Johnson as agriculture commissioner, his first appointment to head a state agency. The governor-elect’s other three appointments have been of Cabinet level senior staff.
Haslam said he wouldn’t rule out naming out-of-state candidate to Cabinet positions.
Former campaign manager Mark Cate, whom Haslam last week named special assistant to the governor, and policy adviser Will Cromer have been sitting in on Bredesen administration budget meetings.
“We’ve been involved in their department reviews, and we’ll be more involved this week,” Haslam said.
Bredesen said the level of cooperation during transition process is a testament to a bipartisan approach in Tennessee.
“We have a new governor, who’s of a different party,” Bredesen said. “I could not be more admiring or complimenting of him. We’re working hard with them to make sure the transition goes smoothly.
“There will be a Democratic governor again at some point, and I hope the Republican governor does the same thing again to try to provide this kind of continuity.”