NC Education Lottery budget deserves a close look

Published May 31, 2014

by Bob Luebke, Civitas Review online, May 30, 2014.

Governor McCrory wants to use lottery money to equip schools with more technology.  The Governor thinks some of the money could come from limiting "annoying" advertising and cutting the Lottery's "bloated" administrative costs.

According to lottery budget documents (see NC Lottery Budget1 andNC Lottery Budget2)  Civitas has received,  it doesn't appear the agency and the Governor are thinking along the same lines.  The Lottery's proposed budget includes a healthy 6.08 percent increase for "EPA Regular Salaries" and a whopping 105 percent increase in "Reserves for Salary Increases."  The budget for general advertising is increased a hefty 12.9 percent.  Meanwhile, the Lottery's budget for "Other Services" is up 19 percent, while the budget for "Other Administrative Expenses" is increased from $124,000 to $358,000, an increase of 189 percent.

Lottery officials are supposed to internally approve the agency's budget next week. It doesn't look like the Governor and the NC Education Lottery are operating from the same template. Budget battles ahead?

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