A look at CSU and state funds

Columbus State University construction funding has been in the headlines for the past week.

The university lost $8 million in construction money in the final days of the most recent General Assembly in what one lawmaker described as a political payback. One Columbus Republican, Rep. Richard Smith, said the money was taken out of the budget because of another Columbus Republican, Sen. Josh McKoon, and his running battle with Gov. Nathan Deal and Speaker of the House David Ralston.

Forget the politics, for now. This will explain the state budget process and what projects Columbus State University is asking to be funded on its main campus. Those projects, dating back three years, are linked in an effort to upgrade several of the core academic buildings that are decades old.

The budget process

▪  State department and agency heads submit budget requests to the governor through the Office of Planning and Budget.

▪  The governor’s office and the OPB meet and formulate an original budget.

▪  The budget is presented to the House of Representatives in the first days of the General Assembly session.

▪  The following week, the House and Senate hold joint appropriations meetings for the purpose of interviewing agency heads and discussing budget requests.

▪  The House holds appropriations subcommittee meetings for all areas of the budget. They report out individual pieces of the budget to the full house appropriations committee. It then goes to the Appropriations Committee, which then votes out the budget to the House Rules Committee.

▪  House Rules Committee sends the budget to the House floor for passage.

▪  This process is repeated on the Senate side.

▪  After the Senate passes the budget, a conference committee of three ranking state representatives and three ranking senators is appointed to iron out the differences in the two budgets.

▪  Once the conference committee completes its changes, the budget is sent to the House and Senate for final passage.

▪  The Governor then has 40 days to sign it and may exercise line item veto authority to strike out portions of the budget.

▪  The current fiscal 2017 budget that begins July 1 was approved two weeks ago. It is nearly $24 billion and awaiting the governor’s signature or vetoes. There is $100,000 in the budget toward a Global War on Terror memorial at the National Infantry and Soldier Center.

Columbus State projects

▪  Howard and Arnold Halls: There was $3.95 million allocated in fiscal 2014 for the renovation of Howard Hall and $4.95 million in fiscal 2015 for the renovation of Arnold Hall. Both are core classroom buildings on the main campus.

Howard Hall was completed in the Fall of 2015 and Arnold Hall is under construction now and scheduled for completion this fall.

Improvements include technology, upgraded Wi-Fi throughout the buildings, elevators, common areas, upgraded heating and cooling systems, additional bathrooms, new furniture and upgraded facades.

▪  Last year’s state budget: Through the Board of Regents, which governs the University System of Georgia, Columbus State requested a major capital fund allocation of $17.4 for two separate projects. One project will add a new lab sciences building on the embankment adjacent to LeNoir Hall. The other was to renovate the main Schwob Library and demolish Woodall Hall for more greenspace around the clock tower.

▪ Here is how that request fared in the state budget process: The Board of Regents requested to the governor was $17.4 million. The governor recommended $6.34 million to the legislature. The House recommended adding back some funding, bringing the budget to $11.87 million. The Senate then recommended adding back some more funding, bringing the budget to $17.4 million. The final final budget recommended by the conference committee was $11.87 million, which was enough to begin the planning for the new lab sciences building, but did not include funding for the library additions and renovations.

▪  The current state budget: Columbus State requested $2 million under “Equipment Funds for Previous Projects” to provide furnishing, equipment and fixtures for the lab sciences building approved the previous year. The university also requested $5.9 million in construction funds for library, which was cut the previous year.

The $2 million for the science lab building was included in the governor’s recommended budget and was not changed by the House or Senate. It was cut out of the conference committee budget.

The $5.9 million for the library renovation and addition was not included in the governor’s recommended budget, but the House and Senate both added $2.95 million to bring the request to $5.9 million. The conference committee cut out all of the library money.

▪  Status of science lab building: This project will not be delayed and will remain on schedule if the equipment and furnishings funding is in next year’s budget.

The entire project will cost $15.87 million. That includes $11.87 million approved by the state plus the $2 million in equipment and furnishings that was cut from the current state budget and $2 million in private funds.

The 24,000 square feet of new space that includes six labs with student spaces and circulation is scheduled for construction in early 2017 and to be finished by Fall 2018.

▪  Status of the library project: It is on hold until funding can be secured.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 5:57 PM with the headline "A look at CSU and state funds."