Governor Ehrlich Submits Budget

[Guest Office of the Governor]

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., submitted his Fiscal Year 2006 Capital Budget of $947.5 million, emphasizing education through $157.4 million for school construction and health and the environment through $139 million dedicated to restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

 

“My capital budget maintains my commitment to the education of children, health of the Chesapeake Bay, and safety of all Maryland citizens,” said Governor Ehrlich. “We will continue to focus on the five pillars of my Administration as we build today and look forward to the projects of the future.”

 

Highlights of the Governor’s FY 2006 Capital Budget include:

 

Fiscal Responsibility: With nearly a $1 billion budget, 74 percent of Governor Ehrlich’s capital budget is dedicated to education, health and the environment. Governor Ehrlich’s proposal includes a 55 percent increase in school construction funding as well as historic increases in funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

 

Education: Governor Ehrlich’s budget dedicates $181 million to Maryland’s public four-year colleges and universities including $51.9 for the Shady Grove Educational Center in Montgomery County, $47.6 million for Coppin State University’s Health and Human Services Building—Coppin’s first new academic building in twenty-five years, $23.1 million for Morgan State University’s Banneker Hall Renovation, and $11.2 million for the University of Maryland, Baltimore Dental School.

 

USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan said, “Completion of the projects supported by the Governor’s FY 2006 capital budget will enhance academic opportunities for our students, boost the university system’s role and the state’s reputation as a major research powerhouse, and expand capacity for the state’s burgeoning undergraduate student population.”

 

In addition, $46.7 million is earmarked for community colleges throughout Maryland, representing the largest ever capital improvement program for community colleges.

 

Health and the Environment: The budget includes $128 million for the Ehrlich Administration’s historic efforts to upgrade Maryland’s wastewater treatment plants to reduce nitrogen loading in the Chesapeake Bay. Land preservation programs will receive $77 million to protect environmentally sensitive lands essential to protecting the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland’s health facilities will receive $39.3 million for improving patient care across the State, including $15 million for the University of Maryland Medical System’s Ambulatory and Patient Care Centers and $10 million for Johns Hopkins’ Pediatric Trauma Center and Cardiovascular and Critical Care Tower.

 

Commerce: Governor Ehrlich has earmarked $19.5 million for the revitalization of Maryland’s older neighborhoods including $5 million for Baltimore’s WestSide Revitalization Project, which will result in residential, office and commercial use, $5 million for East Baltimore’s Biotechnology Park, and $1.5 million for Rockville’s Town Center Redevelopment.

 

Public Safety: Governor Ehrlich has allocated $10.2 million for a new Hagerstown Barrack for the Maryland State Police. The Governor has also directed $2.0 million for a new facility at Cheltenham and a Fresh Start Building for the Living Classrooms Foundation to assist troubled youth.

 

Source of the funding includes $670.3 million in general obligation bond funds, $180.5 million in special funds, $71 million in federal funds primarily used for housing and environmental programs, $25 million for revenue bond funds for higher education academic facilities and $.6 million in general funds.

 

Additional information may be found at www.dbm.maryland.gov.