HARRISBURG — April’s tax collections are delivering another blow to an already grim fiscal picture for Pennsylvania state government.
Legislative officials said Monday that last month’s tax collections came in $537 million below expectations. That means the state’s overall shortfall 10 months through the fiscal year is more than $1 billion.
Rep. Joseph Markosek, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, says April’s shortfall must serve as a wake-up call.
The growing gap could put more pressure on Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf to accept spending cuts or the Republican-controlled Legislature to raise taxes as they prepare a budget plan for the fiscal year starting this July 1.
The Department of Revenue had no immediate comment, but a spokesman says the agency was preparing to issue a monthly revenue statement later Monday.
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