OBM director defends budget, backs sports-gaming plan for stadium funding over GRF-backed bonds

Kimberly Murnix, director of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, told the Ohio Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee on Tuesday that OBM’s agency budget for fiscal years 2026–27 emphasizes fiscal stewardship and operational efficiency.

Murnix said OBM’s operating budget is $32,200,000 for fiscal 2026 and $33,700,000 for fiscal 2027, with general revenue fund support totaling $4,400,000 in 2026 and $4,800,000 in 2027. She said interagency funds make up roughly 86% of OBM’s operating budget and that general fund expenditures comprise about 13.7% of the total OBM budget.

The director emphasized transparency measures — including daily, searchable disclosure of receipts and payments on Ohio’s online checkbook — and data analytics work that identified more than $9,500,000 in duplicate payments since 2019 that the state worked to…