Comptroller outlines $309.1 million fiscal 2026 allowance, cites customer-service strain and IT modernization plans

The state comptroller told the General Assembly’s Public Safety, Transportation, and Environment Subcommittee that the office’s fiscal 2026 allowance totals $309,100,000 — a $90,100,000 (41.2%) increase over the working appropriation — driven largely by new positions and major IT projects. David Probert, an analyst for the Department of Legislative Services, reviewed the comptroller’s fiscal 26 allowance and data trends during the hearing.

The comptroller’s office described personnel and major IT spending as the main drivers. “The fiscal 26 allowance increases by $90,100,000 or 41.2% compared to the working appropriation for a total of $309,100,000,” David Probert said in his prepared remarks. The comptroller said the general fund increase includes funding for 117 new positions, including conversions of contractual workers to permanent status.

Why it matters: the office collects tax revenue and enforces tax law; staffing and system modernization affect taxpayer service levels and the state’s ability to collect unpaid taxes. The comptroller reported roughly $3,000,000,000 in outstanding known-and-collectible individual income tax…