Parks, roads, a mobile mammogram clinic: Here’s some of what legislators are asking for in the budget

This is not a “budget year” in Richmond, meaning it’s not a year in which the General Assembly has to pass a budget. Virginia operates on a two-year budget, so that passage happened last year, and we’re still in the first fiscal year of that spending plan. However, Virginia is projected to have a budget surplus of $2 billion or more, and there are lots of ideas on what to do with all that money.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin — and some Republican legislators — would like to see some (but not all) of that money used for tax relief, and at some point, the General Assembly will have a robust debate on that, perhaps with this fall’s elections in mind. Meanwhile, virtually every legislator has introduced proposed amendments to the state budget that would set aside some money for one thing or another. This happens every year, so that’s not unusual — although the size of this year’s surplus is.

I’ve looked through all the budget amendments introduced by legislators from Southwest and Southside.

Many legislators have introduced amendments that would have statewide impact. For instance, Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, has proposed using $227.5 million for funding special education teachers statewide. State Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, wants to repeal the local tax on food and essential personal hygiene products. As part of that, he’s introduced a budget amendment to set aside $130 million to reimburse localities for the revenues they’d otherwise lose. Del. Wren Williams, R-Patrick County, wants $25 million added to the state fund for improving unpaved roads and $13.5 million to help hire more sheriff’s deputies. Del. Will Morefield, R-Tazewell County, wants just under $7.9 million to raise pay for deputies.

Some budget amendments are what’s known as “language amendments,” meaning they don’t have a dollar figure attached but deal with some aspect of budget policy. The most notable of those this year: Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, has a “language-only” budget amendment that extends the sunset date for the sales tax break for data centers from its scheduled end date in 2035 to 2050.

Most of the budget amendments introduced, though, deal with more local projects and have much smaller price tags. What follows are some (but not all) of those locally focused amendments. Generally, legislators have asked for projects in their own districts. In a few cases, they have sponsored amendments for projects elsewhere; that often happens when the out-of-district legislator is on a committee that deals with that issue and might be better positioned to speak to it than the district’s own legislator.

Energy

The General Assembly has previously appropriated $100,000 to study a proposed natural gas pipeline extension into Patrick County. Williams wants another $200,000 for that study.

Health care

Catawba Hospital: For several years, Rasoul has pushed a proposal to use Catawba Hospital, a state-run geriatric psychiatric hospital in Roanoke County, for substance abuse treatment. He earlier secured a state study of that proposal. Now he has a budget amendment for $2.5 million to renovate two of the buildings at Catawba Hospital.

Mobile mammogram clinic: Williams has asked for $600,000 so Tri-Area Community Health can buy a bus to convert into a mammography outreach program. According to the amendment: “The University of Virginia will outfit the inside with technology and equipment, which will provide for 3D mammograms through mobile outreach. The bus will be able to provide diagnostic mammography, ultrasound, and biopsies.” The mobile unit would serve Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Grayson and Patrick counties.

Housing

Blighted properties in Richlands: Sen. Travis Hackworth, R-Tazewell County, has asked for $500,000 to help the town of Richlands “plan for and execute the remediation of blighted properties in order to build affordable housing on the newly cleared sites.” The amendment estimates that “25 structures could be addressed with this funding.”

Large animal veterinarians

There’s a multipronged effort to increase the number of veterinarians who can treat large animals, i.e., farm livestock such as horses, cows, goats, sheep and so forth. Two legislators have introduced bills to create a grant program to help fund large-animal vets in parts of the state that have shortages: SB 921 by state Hackworth; and HB 2303 by Del. Alfonzo Lopez, D-Arlington County. Cardinal’s Matt Busse previously wrote about that measure.

Now we see a flurry of budget amendments dealing with the same issue. Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt County, has asked for $543,100 to increase the number of slots for Virginia students at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine from 50 to 60. Austin and state Sen. David Marsden, D-Fairfax County, have also asked for $450,000 to fund the grant program that Austin and Hackworth are proposing.

If you’re wondering why legislators from Arlington and Fairfax are interested in livestock vets, there are two reasons. One, even people in Northern Virginia like to eat. More to the point, Lopez and Marsden chair their respective chambers’ agriculture committees; see the column I wrote last year about that.

Libraries

Dolly Parton Imagination Library: The state has already appropriated funding for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program, which mails age-appropriate books to small children. Rasoul has asked for that funding to be increased, from $1.8 million in the first year of the budget to $3 million and from $2.9 million in the second year of the budget to $4 million. See Cardinal’s previous story on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program.

Bassett Branch Library: Williams has asked for $1.6 million to help renovate the Bassett Branch Library in Henry County, which serves parts of Henry and Patrick counties.

Local government

Water treatment plant in Hurt: State Sen. Tammy Mulchi, R-Mecklenburg County, and Del. Eric Zehr, R-Campbell County, have both asked for $7.0 million for a water treatment plant in the Pittsylvania County town of Hurt.

Wastewater treatment plants in Carroll County: Morefield has asked for $2.5 million “to support a wastewater improvement project that will close three existing wastewater treatment plants and convey sewage to the City of Mount Airy, North Carolina for treatment.”

New rescue squad building in Rugby: Del. Jed Arnold, R-Smyth County, has asked for $2 million so that Grayson County can replace the Rugby Volunteer Rescue Squad’s building, “which was significantly damaged during Hurricane Helene.” See Cardinal’s previous story about the flooding in Rugby and how the famed guitar maker Wayne Henderson donated to help the rescue squad.

New emergency radio system in Craig County: Both Austin and state Sen. Chris Head, R-Botetourt County, have asked for funds so that Craig County can upgrade what is described as “its aging emergency radio system.” The two legislators have asked for somewhat different amounts. Austin has asked for $2.0 million, Head has asked for $1.4 million.

New radio system in Bath and Highland counties, too: Sen. Mark Obenshain and Del. Chris Runion, both R-Rockingham County, have asked for $965,000 to purchase digital mobile radio system equipment to serve those two counties.

Police station in Hillsville: State Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, has asked for $750,000 to help build a new police department in Hillsville. The budget amendment says the current building “is in a state of disrepair.”

Full-time prosecutors in Bath and Highland counties: Obenshain and Runion have also asked for $270,970 to convert the part-time commonwealth’s attorneys in Bath and Highland into full-time positions.

Medical education

Multiple legislators are looking at ways to increase the number of health care workers in the state.

Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine: Legislators in both the House and Senate have introduced budget amendments to expand the medical school in Roanoke. See this previous story by Cardinal’s health care reporter, Emily Schabacker. 

State Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, has asked for $8.3 million “to support the creation of an in-state tuition rate for Virginia residents, the provision of financial aid, the development of accelerated pathways to provide a 3-year curriculum and 3-year primary care residency, the expansion of faculty and support staff, and ongoing operations.”

Austin has asked for a similar amount, just in two different amendments. He’s asked for $6.3 million for hiring additional staff, creating accelerated pathways to completion and lowering tuition for in-state students and then a separate $2 million request for financial aid.

Radford University: Hackworth, Suetterlein and Del. Jason Ballard, R-Giles County, have asked for money to help raise the pay of the nursing faculty so the school can retain instructors and “educate the significant increase in nursing students at the university.” Ballard, Hackworth and Suetterlein have each asked for $2.1 million. The Hackworth and Suetterlein amendments say that “without additional faculty, the time-to-degree will be delayed, increasing costs to students, and the university will need to cap nursing admissions in the future.”

Museums and cultural events

Fincastle Museum in Botetourt County: Austin has asked for $3.5 million for the Fincastle Museum, a proposed facility in Botetourt County that would house the county’s historical museum. The state made one appropriation for the museum several years ago, but costs have risen since then.

Octagon House in Smyth County: Arnold has asked for $2 million to help renovate the Octagon House, a 19th-century structure that was built, according to the county’s historical site, “during a surge of interest in octagonal domestic architecture.” A foundation is now working to renovate the house.

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton: Both Head and Del. Ellen Campbell, R-Rockbridge County, have asked for money for renovations and educational outreach. Head asked for $1.1 million, Campbell for $1 million.

Community kitchen in Patrick County: Williams and Stanley have each asked for $800,000 as matching funds for construction of the Richard S. “Major” Reynolds III Community Kitchen at the Reynolds Homestead property that Virginia Tech owns.

Blue Highway Festival in Big Stone Gap: Kilgore has asked for $500,000 for the annual music festival. See our previous story on the festival, when it won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Industry Event of the Year Award.

Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke: Both Rasoul and Head have asked for $500,000 to support the nonprofit museum. Meanwhile, there’s a state study underway on whether the museum should be taken over by the state.

Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest in Bedford County: Austin has asked for $365,000 for capital improvements at Jefferson’s second home, which he used as a retreat from Monticello.

Mecklenburg County YMCA: Mulchi has asked for $100,000 to help expand the county’s YMCA because “current facilities are at capacity and no longer able to meet the increasing demands of the growing community.” Mecklenburg is one of many rural counties where population figures are misleading. The county is losing population, but that’s simply because, with an aging population, there are a lot of deaths. Mecklenburg is also seeing more people move in than move out, and they’re doing so at a rate faster than any other locality in Southside east of Isle of Wight and Southampton counties.

Outdoors

Natural Bridge State Park: Austin has asked for $3.1 million to construct 20 non-RV campsites, three yurts and a bathhouse in accordance with the park’s master plan. He’s also asked for $294,000 for additional staffing at the park.

New River Trail State Park: Williams has asked for $4.0. million to relocate the ranger station and visitors center at the park.

Blue Ridge Parkway: Head has asked for $2.5 million for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation “to support community revitalization, disaster relief efforts, transportation improvements, and natural resource preservation for counties along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.”

Breaks Interstate Park: State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington County, has asked for $1.8 million to renovate lodging facilities at Breaks Interstate Park.

Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center in Appomattox County: State Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, has asked for $1.5 million for “critical infrastructure projects” at the center.

Mayo River State Park: Stanley and Del. Eric Phillips, R-Henry County, have each asked for $1.2 million for startup costs associated with the newly established park in Henry County. Williams has asked for $100,000 to develop a master plan for the park.

Parks and trails in Franklin County: Del. Will Davis, R-Franklin County, has four different budget amendments: $700,000 for the Franklin County Recreational Park, $700,000 for developing the Smith Farm Park, $300,000 for a connector trail at Westlake Corner to the Booker T. Washington National Monument, $250,000 for a trail bridge at Waid Park.

Proposed state park in Washington County: Both Pillion and Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Washington County, have asked for $200,000 to pay for a feasibility study into establishing a state park at the Mendota Trail and Abrams Falls in Washington County.

Roads

Virginia 100 in Giles County: Ballard has asked for $370 million to widen Virginia 100 to a four-lane road and realign it. The road runs from Narrows, in Giles County near the West Virginia line, to Dublin in Pulaski County and then on to Hillsville in Carroll County. This request deals solely with the portion in Giles. To prepare for this project, Ballard has also asked for $28 million for preliminary engineering.

Coalfields Expressway: The road, if ever built, would run from Interstates 64/77 at Beckley, West Virginia, to Pound, near the Kentucky line in Wise County. The stated purpose is to help open up that portion of coal country to development by making it easier to transport goods. For background, see this previous story that Cardinal published. Portions of the road in West Virginia have already been built, and that state estimates a completion date in 2032, according to a recent story in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Virginia is much further behind, with only a small section around Grundy in Buchanan County underway. (My observation: The coalfields of southern West Virginia constitute a bigger part of West Virginia than Virginia’s coal country does in the Old Dominion, so even though West Virginia is poorer, it’s been willing to devote more resources to the project than Virginia has.)

Now some Southwest Virginia legislators are looking to Richmond for more money to accelerate the project. Hackworth has asked for $7.9 million for the Virginia 121 Rockhouse Road Connector Project and the U.S. 460 Phase IIA Finish Grade Project. Meanwhile, Pillion has asked for $7 million for the Corridor Q – U.S. 460 Connector Phase II Paving Project to add additional lanes to approximately four miles of U.S. 460 (Corridor Q) from the intersection with Virginia 80 near the Breaks Interstate Park to the intersection with Virginia 609. Morefield has asked for $1.75 million, as well.

U.S. 220 between Roanoke and the North Carolina line: Austin has asked for $4 million to study how to improve the curvy road. The need for this has been heightened by the cancellation of the proposed Interstate 73. See Cardinal’s previous story on U.S. 220.

Liberty Road in Greensville County: Del. Otto Wachsmann, R-Sussex County, has asked for $2.1 million to begin designing and buying rights of way for a project to “extend the road which is needed to ensure access to residential areas which are often blocked due to a railroad crossing.”

Schools/workforce education

There are always lots of budget requests for various projects at state universities, and this year is no exception. For instance, Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery County, asks for $23.5 million for repairs at Derring Hall at Virginia Tech; Hackworth has a language amendment that seeks to do the same. Pillion has multiple requests for projects at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, the most expensive of which is just under $1.5 million to “support enrollment management marketing, increase the use of technology in the recruitment and admission of students, expand student services through living learning communities and wellness activities, and improve student retention through academic support technology and increased programming.”

Here are some others that don’t deal with four-year colleges:

Southern Virginia Megasite: Mulchi and Marshall have each proposed $10 million to build a training center at the megasite in Pittsylvania County. Notes on Marshall’s amendment say “this training center will serve manufacturing tenants at the Southern Virginia Megasite, including Microporous LLC. The Virginia Tobacco Commission and Danville Regional Foundation are each contributing $10.0 million to this project.” Notes on Mulchi’s add that it will train 275 workers a year.

Roanoke County career and technical education center: Both Head and Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County, have asked for $3.0 million to buy equipment needed “for high-demand skills training programs” to be offered at the new Roanoke County CTE center, which will also serve students from Salem and Botetourt County.

Aviation maintenance program in Danville: Marshall has asked for $2.6 million which, along with matching funds from Danville, “will complete the training center equipment and infrastructure requirements” at Danville Community College.

Roanoke Valley’s adult high school: Head has also asked for $1.8 million for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys to fund diplomas at the Excel Center.

Danville schools: Marshall has asked for $1.4 million “to support Danville’s All-In attendance, literacy, and learning programming.”

What happens next?

On Feb. 2, both money committees — House Appropriations and Senate Finance — are scheduled to release their draft budgets. If something’s not in one of those, then that means it probably won’t be in the final version either. If an appropriation is in one version and not the other, that’s still no guarantee. Realistically, most of these proposals won’t make the final cut: There are always more requests than dollars available. However, if you want to know what your legislators are pushing for in Richmond, here you go. 

What else is happening in Richmond?

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