North Dakota is still reporting strong tax and fee collections.
State budget director Pam Sharp told the Legislature’s interim Government Finance Committee – the state is on pace to collect $5.6 billion in the 2013-2015 biennium. That’s on top of the $1.6 Billion left over at the end of the last two year budget period.
"Once we back out our appropriations and our authorized carry over, we anticipate having an ending fund balance of $491 million at the end of the biennium," Sharp told the committee. "This compares to around $80 million that was projected when the Legislature left town. So it is quite a big increase."
Sharp says that’s just for the general fund. She says the state has a lot of money in some other funds that are restricted.