Steele helps craft House capital budget targeting schools, housing, flood control

NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON — State lawmakers have released a proposed supplemental capital budget that would steer hundreds of millions of dollars into school construction, affordable housing and flood control — investments that help fund many of the large public projects carried out in North Central Washington.

The House spending plan, totaling $910.6 million, updates the state’s current two-year construction budget and focuses largely on projects that are ready to move forward.

Rep. Mike Steele, R-Chelan, served as the lead Republican negotiator on the proposal as the ranking member of the House Capital Budget Committee, working with majority-party budget writers to assemble the plan.

“Each year, this budget demonstrates bipartisan cooperation is achievable as negotiators work together to reach agreement on the priorities of Washingtonians in all corners of the state,” Steele said in a statement.

Capital budget dollars are commonly used in the region for school modernization, water and sewer systems, habitat restoration, public buildings and community facilities — projects that are often beyond the financial reach of local governments without state support.

The House proposal includes:

• $29 million for small school district modernization grants, a program frequently used by rural districts
  
  
• $28.4 million for seismic upgrades to K-12 school buildings
  
  
• $164.5 million for affordable housing through the Housing Trust Fund
  
  
• $37.3 million for floodplain restoration and flood-risk reduction projects
  
  
• $11.1 million for salmon recovery work
  
  

In a supplemental year, lawmakers typically focus on adjusting funding for projects already in the pipeline rather than launching large numbers of new ones, with an emphasis on keeping approved work on schedule.

“This supplemental capital budget is about being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars while making sure projects are not delayed,” Steele said.

The proposal now moves to a public hearing and committee vote in the House before negotiations begin with the Senate.

Final funding levels — and which specific projects receive money — will not be known until a compromise plan is adopted later in the session.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media