MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers hopes Republican lawmakers will approve his plan to spend almost $3.8 billion on building projects across Wisconsin over the next two fiscal years.
Roughly half of the money would go toward improving aging buildings on University of Wisconsin System campuses.
Among the biggest projects at the University of Wisconsin-Madison would be replacing the 83-year-old College of Engineering building.
In his capital budget proposal, the governor asked lawmakers for $347 million to help fund the project, which would also be supported by nearly $150 million in private gifts and grants.
A new, state-of-the-art engineering building is a top priority for the university, which would like to grow the number of graduates who are vital to Wisconsin employers.
“We thank Governor Evers for prioritizing this critical project,” said UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to share the tremendous value of an engineering facility, both to grow our number of engineering graduates and for our world-changing research in areas ranging from clean energy to semiconductors to transportation, areas that are critical to the economic development of the state.”
The capital budget proposals by Gov. Evers for the UW System would rely on cash from the state’s general fund, which has a projected surplus of $7.1 billion, rather than using taxpayer-supported borrowing to cover the costs of campus projects.
However, many chancellors, like Mnookin, want their universities to have more authority to avoid delays and high construction costs.
Wisconsin’s flagship university is the only one in the country that cannot borrow money without approval from the Legislature, which is a change many Republicans have been skeptical of enacting.
“That will not happen in a state budget because it’s a major policy change with a ton of language, and we won’t even consider that in doing budget with this governor,” said State Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, during a recent panel hosted by WisPolitics.
Under current law, unless campus building renovations or new construction projects are fully funded by gifts or grants, lawmakers need to give their approval. That is the case even if the university wants to borrow funds that would be repaid using its own revenue.
“The main reason that it doesn’t happen is generations of distrust between [the] Dept. of Administration, state government, and the UW System,” added Born.
Other projects on UW-Madison’s campus include:
- Spending $285 million to replace the Camp Randall Sports Center, better known as the Shell
- Using $169 million to move the School of Education’s Art Department out of the Humanities building, which is scheduled to be demolished
- Renovating the more than 140-year-old Music Hall building on Bascom Hill with $40 million in funding
Republicans, who control the Legislature, are likely to make cuts to Gov. Evers' proposals if history is any indication. Later this month, the spending proposals will go to the State Building Commission, followed by the Joint Finance Committee.