Bay to Bay News | by Joseph Edelen
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives unanimously voted to approve the $1.4 billion Fiscal Year 2023 Bond and Capital Improvements Act on Tuesday, overtaking last year’s total as the most expensive bond bill in state history.
The bond bill for fiscal year 2023, or House Bill 475, invests in a variety of improvement projects including statewide facilities, school construction, community redevelopment, and transportation. The $1.4 billion allocation for these projects represents nearly an 8% increase in funding from last year’s bond bill.
The House’s approval of the bond bill came just hours after Gov. John Carney officially signed off on the state’s $5.1 billion operating budget for fiscal year 23, as well as $379 million in supplemental appropriations for one-time funded projects.
With the governor’s approval of the budget, and the bond bill’s advancement through the House, both chambers still await consideration for the final spending bill of the legislative session, the fiscal year 23 grant-in-aid bill. On Tuesday morning, the Joint Finance Committee gathered to formally agree on the finishing touches of the legislation, but the official bill has not yet been introduced.
The bond and capital improvements bill was introduced Monday after several months of deliberation from the Joint Committee on Capital Improvement, which included the review of budget requests from state agencies and higher education institutions, among others.
Of the appropriations contained in the bond bill for FY 23, nearly $379 million will be allocated to the Department of Education for various projects relating to school safety, renovations and construction. The figure is more than double the approximately $181 million in educational funding for FY 22.
The Department of Transportation will receive more than $311 million for their capital improvement projects, though the bulk of that funding, which is more than $209 million, will be for improvements to the roadway system.
Delaware’s higher education institutions each received significant support from the general assembly. Under the bond bill, the University of Delaware will receive $20.1 million, while Delaware State University and Delaware Technical Community College will each receive $20.8 million. The overwhelming majority of each institution’s funding will go toward deferred maintenance and campus improvements.
Other notable funding figures included $76 million to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which contained $10 million each for development, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and shoreline and waterway management.
Additionally, $137.4 million was allocated to the state for capital improvement projects, while $80 million was given to the state’s Family Court for the construction of two new family courthouse facilities being built in Kent and Sussex counties.
Chair of the Joint Committee on Capital Improvement Debra Heffernan, D-Bellefonte, applauded her committee colleagues Rep. Andria Bennett, D-Dover, Rep. Ron Gray, R-Selbyville, Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, Rep. Mike Ramone, R-Newark, and Rep. Sean Matthews, D-Brandywine, for their dedication in constructing the bill. She extended a special thanks to Controller General Ruth Ann Jones and her staff for their countless hours helping put the bond bill together.
Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, commended Rep. Heffernan and members of the bond committee for their work despite “contentious” meetings that occasionally ran late into the night.
The bill received unanimous support, something that could not be said about the legislation in recent years. Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, had opted not to vote on the bill last year due to concerns about funding given to economic development agency the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.
“Once again my concern, it’s only $50 million out of this $1.4 billion, going to the strategic fund, city, site development plans, and all of that is controlled by the prosperity partnership. That always concerns me, but not enough to vote against all the good things that are in the bond bill,” Rep. Kowalko said.
The bond and capital improvements bill will now head to the Senate where it awaits consideration in the final two days of the legislative session.