September 2014 Cash Report Summary Analysis

Published September 9, 2014

Revenues for August 2014 totaled $6.7 billion, falling short of estimates in the 2014-15 Budget Act by $370.1 million, or 5.3 percent.Bottom Line: What the Numbers Mean

California's August numbers had a number of quixotic elements which means more effort is needed to scrape away some of the confusion in the headlines. When that is done, it appears that the State’s fiscal position remains on the mend although it is very early in the fiscal year. Read more and see detailed receipts and disbursements.

Guest Column: California Housing Market Moves Toward Health

The latest statistics for California resale home sales are still relatively sluggish. DataQuick registered 39,254 sales in July 2014, which was up 0.9 percent from June but down 8.7 percent compared to last year. July’s sales were 14.0 percent below the average sales for all months of July since 1988. Volume-wise, the California housing market is still not thriving. Read more of Gerd-Ulf Krueger's column.

More on California Fiscal Policy: Changes in the Composition of the General Fund

For most of the post-World War II period, the sales tax was the State’s biggest revenue source. In 1970-71, it accounted for 50 percent more revenue than did the second-highest source of revenue, the personal income tax. But things have changed. Read more about fiscal policy.

California Economic Snapshot

See recent statistics regarding California new car registrations, the median home price, single-family home sales and employment. Read snapshot numbers.

Dive Into Local Government Finances With Controller's New Site

Controller John Chiang has unveiled a new open data website listing financial data for cities and counties as part of his ongoing efforts to promote transparency in government. The site, ByTheNumbers.sco.ca.gov, makes it easier for taxpayers to track revenues, expenditures, liabilities, assets, fund balances and even basic statistics about each city and county.