The Office of the State Controller released on Apr. 20 the General Fund Cash Watch figures for the week ending April 17, providing a summary of North Carolina’s financial position.
The weekly update offers transparency into how state funds are managed, detailing cash inflows and outflows as well as amounts reserved for future needs. This information helps ensure accountability and gives insight into the state’s fiscal health.
According to the report, North Carolina began the week with $8.78 billion in cash and ended with $9.31 billion on April 17. Total receipts for the week were approximately $1.84 billion, while disbursements amounted to about $1.31 billion. The unreserved cash balance at week’s end was reported at $2.3 billion after accounting for over $7 billion in reserved funds.
Tax and non-tax receipts contributed more than $1.25 billion to total receipts, while other sources added around $586 million; there were no coronavirus relief receipts during this period. Major disbursements included payroll ($259 million), tax refunds or distributions ($618 million), Medicaid payments ($185 million), state aid ($109 million), and general operating expenses ($134 million). No funds were allocated to debt service or coronavirus relief transfers this week.
Reserved cash categories included nearly $3.62 billion in savings reserves, a stabilization and inflation reserve of about $797 million, an economic development project reserve exceeding $702 million, an information technology reserve at roughly $271 million, a Medicaid contingency reserve totaling half a billion dollars, and additional allocations for disaster recovery and infrastructure projects.
The Office of the State Controller said it aims to protect North Carolina’s financial integrity by promoting accountability through its accounting systems that serve agencies, employees, and citizens.
