The House on Tuesday approved a state-record $1.4 billion capital budget.
House Bill 475 was hashed out by the Joint Bond Bill Committee, a 12-member panel of representatives and senators from both parties. The Bond Bill funds various construction, planning, and repair projects for state infrastructure, buildings, and grounds.
The Bond Bill is a major contributor to the state’s economy. It comes at a time when many school buildings are more than 40 years with Interstate 95 a half-century old and Sussex County roads strained by rapid population growth.
The Bond Bill includes $90 million for the Community Reinvestment and Redevelopment Fund, which will provide funding for capital projects throughout Delaware community nonprofit and municipal organizations.
The fiscal 2023 capital budget includes:
- $331.4 million in state transportation allocations to complete road projects statewide, including additional funds to address the roads in the poorest condition.
- $285.2 million for school construction projects in the Appoquinimink, Brandywine, Caesar Rodney, Cape Henlopen, Capital, Christina, Colonial, Indian River, Milford, and Smyrna school districts, as well as funding for all three technical school districts Polytech, New Castle County Vo-Tech, and Sussex Tech school districts.
- $80 million to the new Kent and Sussex Family Courthouses for the second year of funding.
- $38.5 million for the new Troop 6 located near Wilmington.
- $30.4 million in statewide deferred maintenance, roof replacement, and capital improvement projects throughout state facilities.
- $26.8 million for statewide library construction.
- $25.3 million dedicated to statewide park improvements including a White Clay Creek Nature Center, a splash pad at Trap Pond State Park, renovations to the Biden Center at Cape Henlopen State Park, and cabins at Lums Pond State Park.
- $24.5 million for Wilmington area projects including the Riverfront Development Corporation, South Market Street Improvements, Frawley Stadium, a Riverside STEM Hub, and Fort Christina improvements.
- $17.1 million in Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds leveraging federal dollars.
- $11.1 million for capital improvement projects in Legislative Hall.
- $10 million for the School Safety and Security Fund.
- $10 million for statewide drainage improvements.
- $10 million to address beach and dredging needs throughout the state –epilogue ensures priority is given to those dredging projects in the Inland Bays.
- $10 million for Farmland Preservation.
- $10 million for Open Space.
The bill heads to the Senate, which is facing a June 30 deadline for fiscal year budgets.
