Rep. Mike Steele secures more than $63 million in 12th District capital budget projects

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Lawmakers in Olympia have reached an agreement and passed the state’s 2019-21 biennial capital budget. The “brick and mortar” construction budget proposes to spend $4.9 billion, $3.22 billion of which is from the sale of general obligation bonds. It leaves $69.6 million in bond capacity for the 2020 supplemental capital budget.

Rep. Mike Steele, R-Chelan, assistant ranking member on the House Capital Budget Committee was one of the primary budget negotiators. The 12th District lawmaker released the following statement on final approval of the spending plan:

“After weeks of hard work and late nights—often after our fellow legislators had gone home—I’m excited to announce we’ve been able to broker a capital budget on time, before sine die. Unlike the operating budget and its accompanying tax increases, this spending plan is good news for Washingtonians. It positions our economy for continued success, puts our families back to work, and will help build our rural communities for generations to come.

“As a lead budget writer on the committee, I was able to roll up my sleeves and work on behalf of the 12th District. In the end, after substantial negotiating, I helped secure more than $63 million in projects for our communities—many of which we never thought we’d get funded.

“Some of those investments include funding for the Winthrop Library, the Lake Chelan Community Center and Leffler Park in Manson. One of the most significant is the $35 million allocation for Wenatchee Valley College.”

The capital budget makes appropriations for many infrastructure projects across the state including schools, public buildings, parks, low-income housing, water infrastructure and habitat. Some 12th District capital budget projects include:

  • Wenatchee Valley Community College – $35 million;
  • Wenatchee Landing – $4 million;
  • Winthrop Library – $2 million;
  • Twisp Civic Building – $1.2 million;
  • Lake Chelan Community Center – $250,000;
  • Leffler Park (Manson) – $265,000; and
  • Washington Wildlife Recreation projects – $4.3 million

For a complete list of budget documents go to http://fiscal.wa.gov/BudgetCBills.aspx. District project lists can be found at http://fiscal.wa.gov/BudgetCProjList.aspx.