West Virginia reports $370 million revenue surplus for fiscal year 2026

West Virginia finished fiscal year 2026 with $5.693 billion in General Revenue Fund collections, $370 million above the state’s initial estimate, Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office announced in July.

The reported collections were 7% higher than the estimate. The announcement covers statewide General Revenue Fund revenue for the fiscal year, which the source packet identifies as ending July 1, 2026.

The governor’s office characterized the result as evidence that state finances were stronger than expected. The announcement did not, however, establish how much of the reported amount is legally available for appropriation, nor did it describe a formal supplemental spending proposal.

Revenue result exceeds estimate

The $370 million figure is the gap between actual fiscal-year General Revenue Fund collections and the initial estimate cited by the administration. It is not, based on the announcement alone, a declaration that the entire amount is unrestricted cash available for new programs, tax changes or other uses.

General Revenue Fund collections totaled $5.693 billion for FY2026, according to the governor’s office. The administration also reported that collections in one referenced revenue category were $39 million, or 38.3%, above estimate. The source material did not identify that category in the approved packet.

Those figures describe revenue collections against an estimate. They do not by themselves announce a change in enacted spending, a tax-law change, or a decision on the disposition of the revenue above estimate.

Next budget priorities remain prospective

Morrisey’s administration said it would prioritize education, foster care, infrastructure, law enforcement and tax relief in the next budget. Those areas are stated policy priorities, rather than appropriations already enacted in response to the fiscal-year result.

The announcement therefore provides a financial starting point for the next state budget discussion, while leaving key budget decisions unresolved. The administration did not identify a formal spending package, an appropriation amount for any of the listed priorities, or a deadline for a supplemental proposal in the approved information.

For education, foster care, infrastructure and law enforcement, the announcement did not specify programs, agencies or dollar amounts that would receive funding. For tax relief, it did not identify a proposed tax provision or state whether any reduction had been enacted.

What the announcement does and does not decide

The reported revenue total is a completed fiscal-year collection result, not a legislative vote or a budget enactment. The responsible office for the announcement was the Office of the Governor of West Virginia, and the revenue measure at issue was the state General Revenue Fund.

State officials now have a reported result showing collections above the initial estimate as they plan the next budget. But the approved source material does not establish the legal budget treatment of the $370 million difference, whether all or part of it can be appropriated, or what action the Legislature or other state budget authorities may take.

As a result, the immediate verified development is the fiscal-year revenue report: $5.693 billion collected, exceeding the initial estimate by $370 million, or 7%. Any future spending, foster-care investment, infrastructure work, law-enforcement funding, education allocation or tax relief would require further budget action beyond the priorities described in the governor’s announcement.

Sources

• West Virginia Concludes FY 2026 with $370 Million Revenue Surplus, Office of the Governor of West Virginia