The 47th Legislature, in second extraordinary session, has reduced the state General Fund budget for the 1981-83 biennium in order to curtail state government expenditures

NOW, THEREFORE, I, John Spellman, Governor of the state of Washington, by the powers vested in me do hereby establish an employment reduction program for state government in keeping with the expenditure reductions enacted by the legislature. This program shall take effect January 1, 1982, and shall be completed by the end of the current biennium.

-- Each agency shall reduce its full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing level below the level previously authorized by the legislature for this biennium. The reduction shall be in the same proportion as the agency's state General Fund expenditure reduction imposed by the legislature in Substitute House Bill 811, which I have today signed into law. Each agency director shall ensure that, when reduction in force actions are required, the existing ratio of management to nonmanagement personnel shall be maintained.

-- Overall, state-wide state General Fund-supported staffing will be reduced by four percent of the state-wide level previously authorized by the legislature for the biennium.

-- The Office of Financial Management shall submit monthly reports to me on the progress of this program, including comparisons of actual FTE levels with adjusted September 1981 levels and with the levels previously authorized by the legislature.

This program shall apply to all agencies with state General Fund- supported staffing, with the exception of legislative and judicial agencies and those agencies headed by elected officials other than the Governor. I am, however, asking all agencies to cooperate in this time of fiscal constraint in order to achieve similar reductions in staffing levels, regardless of their sources of financial support.

Detailed instructions necessary for implementing this order and for seeking exceptions shall be provided to all agencies by the Director, Office of Financial Management.