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Capital budget invests $60 million from Lacey
through Lewis County
20th District lawmakers pleased by support for
wide range of projects
The 20th Legislative
District's three lawmakers are hailing the passage of the new 2007-09
state budget for capital projects, which includes $60.6 million for
projects from Lacey through southern Thurston County and across Lewis
County.
Sen. Dan
Swecker,
Rep. Richard DeBolt
and Rep. Gary
Alexander all voted for the $4.2 billion investment plan, which
moved through the Senate on Saturday night and the House today as the
Washington Legislature worked toward its scheduled adjournment Sunday.
The capital budget pays to build and repair public buildings and
purchase land. It also gives or loans money to local government and
nonprofit organizations for infrastructure, housing, cultural and
heritage facilities.
“It's a good capital
budget for our district and the state. The projects at Centralia College
and Green Hill School were high on our local priority list, so I’m
pleased the budget provides strong funding for them," said Swecker,
R-Rochester. "I'm also happy to see there is money for the Chehalis
library project and the land acquisition for Millersylvania State Park.”
Nearly half of the funding
House Bill 1092 designates for the 20th District will go to build a
new science building at Centralia College, the state's oldest
continuously operating community college. Ehret Hall, which dates from
the late 1950s, will be demolished to make way for the new structure.
The second largest appropriation in the budget will go to build a 32-bed
intensive management unit, health center and administration offices at
Green Hill School in Chehalis, a correctional facility for juveniles.
"All of these projects are
worthy, but if I had to pick a favorite, the new Chehalis library just
might be the strongest candidate," said DeBolt, R-Chehalis, who is House
Republican leader. "Between the 500,000 dollars in this capital budget
and the significant private donations we're seeing, I'm confident the
goal of raising 3.2 million dollars is achievable, although there's
still quite a way to go. Overall, this budget contains a lot of positive
and welcome news for Lewis County."
"There's a tremendous
amount of interest in the Lacey Gateway project, and I'm glad this
budget will help the community capitalize on that," said Alexander,
R-Thurston County. "We were able to keep the money for the Chehalis
Middle School track improvements in place, and while the amount for the
Chehalis Veterans Wall of Honor is the smallest appropriation for our
district, I appreciate it as much as any of the other investments."
Alexander, who also echoed
support for the Chehalis library funding, noted that the capital budget
appropriates $200,000 to take down the school building in Vader. The
building was closed for good recently after school district voters
turned down a levy and bond issue for the third consecutive time.
"I would have preferred
seeing the money for demolition be spent on a new building instead, were
that possible. The Vader situation is the sobering part of a capital
budget that is otherwise a plus for our area," he said.
20th District capital budget
projects:
Infrastructure
Lacey Gateway public infrastructure and economic stimulus package --
$9,912,000
Deschutes Watershed Center salmon-rearing facility -- $2,345,000
Skookumchuck Hatchery renovation, phase 2 -- $528,000
Chehalis Middle School track improvement -- $350,000
Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library -- $500,000 toward new $3.2
million library
New intensive-management unit, health center and administration offices
at Green Hill School -- $13,325,000
Cultural facilities
Chehalis Veterans Wall of Honor security enclosure -- $25,000
Heritage facilities
Lewis County Historical Museum -- $43,100 to help pay for a $129,300
building improvement project
Cowlitz River Valley Historical Society -- $158,000
Land acquisition
Purchase 70 adjacent acres to expand Millersylvania State Park --
$1,570,343
Public schools
Vader School campus demolition -- $200,000
Centralia College
Health and Wellness Education Center -- $1,000,000
Science Building -- $28,716,000
Roof repairs -- $1,188,713
Infrastructure -- $61,285
Minor works program -- $470,500
Minor works preservation --$181,800
# # #
Contacts: Sen. Swecker (360) 786-7638
Rep. DeBolt (360) 786-7896
Rep. Alexander (360) 786-7990
Brian Zylstra, Senate Republican
Communications (360) 786-7399
Eric Campbell, House Republican Communications (360) 786-7720
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