The state’s bill backlog will soar to $19 billion in five years if additional tax revenue isn’t found, the Pritzker administration said.
That would mean the estimated bill backlog would more than triple from $5.9 billion, the amount it is projected to be at when the current fiscal year ends June 30.
The prediction is contained in an annual report that must be produced by the governor’s office that looks at the long-term budget picture for the state.
By that time, the state will be running a deficit of $3.2 billion a year unless something is done to further increase revenue, cut spending, or both. That will cause the projected bill backlog to hit $19.2 billion, worse than the biggest bill backlog that was achieved during the two-year budget impasse.
