RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Governor Pat McCrory is trying to push a tax overhaul agreement over the finish line that would in turn lead to legislators passing an overdue North Carolina state budget.

But Governor McCrory prefers to limit the scope of tax changes and doesn’t want them siphoning away too much money.

Governor McCrory told reporters Monday he and House and Senate leaders are “very close” to getting a tax plan completed but says he wants any deal sent to his desk to provide sufficient revenues to pay for the basics of operating state government.

The Senate’s latest version wouldn’t be phased in through 2018 and would result in nearly $1 billion less in revenue that year than currently projected. He says he’d prefer making tax changes through 2015 before reassessing.