The Cavalier daily :: Friday, January 12, 1968 :: University of Virginia Library

More than $386 million in
general and special funds has
been earmarked for higher education
in the budget proposals
for Virginia for the next biennium.

This request is part of a record
$3,065,059,143 budget submitted
to the Virginia General
Assembly yesterday by the state's
budget director, L. M. Kuhn.
The higher education request was
more than $40 million higher
than the current appropriation.

Billion Dollar Mark

Recommendations for appropriations
from the general fund
passed the billion dollar mark,
with $1,346,276,763 asked for
such areas as mental health, public
health and welfare, and administration
of other state agencies.
These exceed the current appropriation
by $260 million.

Special fund requests also exceed
a billion dollars, with the
Governor asking for spending
amounting to $1,718,781,380, up
$355 million from current appropriations.
This money, from
earmarked funds, federal grants
and special fees, goes to public
and higher education, as well as
various state agencies.

'Sound Basis'

In his message to the delegates,
Governor. Godwin said his proposals
for state spending will
guarantee "a sound basis" for
the Commonwealth to maintain
the momentum begun during the
last biennium.

A significant feature of the
Governor's budget is the proposal
to float a $70 million bond issue
to help finance higher education
in mental health. This is seen by
many as a first step toward a
constitutional change to allow
more state borrowing.

Statewide Referendum

Before this general obligation
bond issue could be enacted,
there will have to be a statewide
referendum on whether or not
to borrow the money. The state
can legally issue bonds for up to
one per cent of the total state
assessed values.

If the bond issue is approved,
the University will be the largest
single recipient of funds. Of the
$71 million requested, almost $15
million would be allocated to the
University in Charlottesville and
its related institutions.

Request Cut

The University's request of
$48.9 million was cut by the
budget to $41.4 million, a decrease
of 20 per cent. Most of
the new state money for the University,
about $14.9 million,
would come from the bond issue.

Other funds recommended for
the University include $15.9 million
from revenue bonds for such
projects as dormitory construction
for which rent is guaranteed,
$4.2 million from non-tax special
funds, $870,000 from the general
fund, and $5.5 million from previous
appropriations which have
not yet been spent.

University Receipts

Within the University, the
school itself would receive $10.4
million, the hospital $1.4 million,
George Mason College $2.2 million,
Mary Washington College
$532,000, and Clinch Valley and
Patrick Henry Colleges a total of
$106,800 from the bond issue.

The University in Charlottesville,
not including the hospital,
requested $22.1 million from the
General Assembly, and the Governor's
recommendation calls for
slightly more than this to be allocated.

Special Issue

In addition to the $10.4 million
from the bonds, the Governor
recommended $7.2 million from
revenue bonds, $2 million in reappropriation
of balances, $1.9
million from special funds and
$723,600 from the state's general
fund.

(A detailed analysis of the
University's requests for funds
will appear in The Cavalier
Daily's special General Assembly
issue Tuesday.)