The State Senate passed a more than $1.4 billion bond bill to fund the state’s capital improvement plan for FY2024.
The bill passed without opposition and is about $50 million less than last year’s record capital spending plan.
It includes funding for renovations and upgrades to courthouses and state buildings and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
It also allocates over $106 million in market pressure relief for school projects, up $38 million from 2023, but school project spending is down almost $166 million. The University of Delaware, Delaware State University, and Delaware Tech each get $20 million for campus maintenance and improvements.
The bill also sends over $354 million to the Department of Transportation for road, support, and transit systems, up about $43 million from last year.
“Statewide transportation initiatives, $354.2 million in state transportation allocations to complete road projects statewide including additional funds to address the roads in poorest condition," says Bond Bill Committee chair Sen. Jack Walsh.
Walsh says $177 million is included for deferred maintenance, roof replacement, and other capital improvement projects at state facilities.
“Our judicial facilities, $64 million," he says. "That's $34.3 million towards the new Kent and Sussex family courthouse for the third year of funding, which will complete that funding. $27.4 million to address upgrades and renovations of the custom house facility in the City of Wilmington.”
The bond bill now heads to the House where it could face a roadblock if House Republicans use it as a bargaining chip in efforts to approve a controversial amendment to Seaford’s charter allowing artificial entities like LLCs to vote in municipal elections.
