House Resolution 4

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND STELLAR CAREER OF MR. ROBERT SUMRALL AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE.

WHEREAS, Mr. Robert Sumrall, the Deputy Director of the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office, recently announced his plans for retirement after 39 years of outstanding public service to the State of Mississippi and to the Legislature in particular; and

WHEREAS, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, Mr. Sumrall graduated from Murrah High School in 1970 and then went to college at Mississippi State University, where he graduated with a B.S. Degree in 1974; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Sumrall began his career in public service shortly after graduation from college, when he began working for the Mississippi Employment Security Commission in August 1974 as an Employment Interviewer, and three years later he was promoted to Contract Officer with the commission; and

WHEREAS, in June 1979, Mr. Sumrall left the executive branch to work for the Legislature, beginning an exceptional career in the legislative branch that spanned more than three decades in which he worked with eight Governors, seven Lieutenant Governors, four Speakers of the House, and four Legislative Budget Office Directors; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Sumrall initially worked as a Budget Analyst for the Commission of Budget and Accounting, then was named as Budget Officer assigned to the House Appropriations Committee in December 1980, where he was the main person working with and providing guidance to the committee chairman and the subcommittees in creating the state budget each year; and

WHEREAS, after the reorganization of the Budget Commission a few years later, Mr. Sumrall continued on as Budget Officer for the House Appropriations Committee with the newly created Legislative Budget Office in 1984, and in recognition of his vast knowledge, experience and skills with the budgeting process, he was promoted to Revenue Officer and Deputy Director of the Legislative Budget Office in August 2000; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Sumrall has been a major contributor to a number of improvements in the state budgeting process over the years, including beginning the use of an annual appropriation for the Legislature in 1987 so that the legislative budget would not have to be passed on the first day of the session each year, and the creation of a new statutory budgeting process beginning in 1992 that included a limit on legislative appropriations to 98% of the revenue estimate, which helped prevent reductions to agency funding during the year if the revenues collected were not as much as projected; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Sumrall was also instrumental in the creation of the Disaster Assistance Trust Fund in 1993 that has allowed the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to access funds from the state's reserve fund to use for relief efforts in disasters declared by the Governor, and in establishing a policy for the House Appropriations Committee in 1994 that recognized the Legislative Budget Recommendations as a spending baseline for the committee and limited any increases above those recommendations without a corresponding reduction; and

WHEREAS, upon Mr. Sumrall's encouragement and recommendation, the Legislature enacted legislation in 2008 that consolidated the unencumbered ending cash balances into one section of the law and created a new Capital Expense Fund that can be used for repairs and renovations of state-owned property and allows the Department of Finance and Administration access to emergency funds for repairs on state-owned buildings; and

WHEREAS, many people in government and education have sought, and Mr. Sumrall has willingly and generously shared, his extensive knowledge and expertise in the budgeting process, as he taught classes in state budgeting in the Certified Public Managers Program from 1992 to 2000, made numerous formal presentations to groups throughout the state including financial management classes at Mississippi State University and graduate classes and economics classes at Jackson State University, MSU-Stennis Institute of Government and Lanier High School, and served as Chairman of the Mississippi Executive Resource Library and Information Network (MERLIN) Task Force; and

WHEREAS, one of Mr. Sumrall's major accomplishments in his personal life was competing in and completing the world famous New York City Marathon in 1986, which demonstrates how focused and dedicated to a project or task that he can be, qualities that are essential to being successful in the detail-oriented world of budget making; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Sumrall is a member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church where he also contributes his budgeting talents after office hours by serving as Chairman of the Finance Committee, and he has been greatly inspired and supported throughout his life and career by his wife, Cathy Sutherland Sumrall, his three daughters, Rebekah Clayton, Anna Catherine Tucker and Emily Murphy, and his two grandsons and two granddaughters; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize the significant professional achievements and outstanding employment career of devoted public servants such as Mr. Sumrall, whose commitment to public service, ethic of hard work and diligence has been of great benefit to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we commend the dedicated service and stellar career of Mr. Robert Sumrall, congratulate him upon the occasion of his retirement from the Legislative Budget Office after 39 years of distinguished and invaluable public service to the State of Mississippi and to the Legislature in particular, and extend our best wishes for continued success in all his future endeavors as he enjoys the lighter days of his retirement.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mr. Robert Sumrall and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.