State agencies that are funded through state general funds are preparing for budget reductions.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple has ordered 4.05 percent across the board cuts.
"It's a heavy lift," said University of North Dakota interim president Ed Schafer. Schafer says when you look at the budget numbers, "it almost chokes you." UND has already had to reduce its budget $5 million to meet an existing shortfall.
"We're going to look at the priorities," said Schafer. "We're going to look at every corner of the University, every place you can find, shake every couch for some loose change. We'll do what we have to do."
And Schafer says UND may have to find even more savings.
"We have some maintenance needs on campus that haven't been met," said Schafer. "We've skimmed the dollars for years for operating expenses. And then we go to the Legislature and say, 'Our buildings are falling down.' We need to build into the budget honest maintenance costs. And that's going to be above and beyond the allocation."
Bismarck State College president Larry Skogen says BSC had already been bracing for a 2 ½ percent cut.
"We've already made some organizational changes," said Skogen. "We've consolidated some positions up at the campus. Now it's a matter of sitting back and saying, 'OK, now we have another 1.5 we have to work on.'"
Skogen says everything is on the table.
"What has helped us out, is we have a number of very senior folks on our campus that have retired," said Skogen. "That immediately drives salary savings for us. The lion's share of the budget is made up of personnel."
Agencies will have to tell the state budget office how they will respond to the budget reductions in a couple of weeks.
