by Brianna Crandall — January 13, 2016—California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., proposed a $122.6 billion General Fund budget plan for 2016-17 last week that makes significant increases in funding to strengthen state infrastructure, provide for deferred maintenance projects and address climate change, as well as for education and health care, while bolstering the state’s Rainy Day Fund and paying down state debts and liabilities.
Strengthening state infrastructure
In addition to providing $36 billion over the next decade to improve the maintenance of highways and roads, expand public transit, and improve critical trade routes, the budget supports a major investment in renovating Sacramento’s aged and inadequate state office infrastructure with a $1.5 billion General Fund down payment to begin work on the renovation or replacement of state office buildings in the Sacramento region.
The funding will improve the safety and capacity of the State Capitol Annex building, as well as make significant first steps towards addressing other state office space deficiencies. Initial projects include replacement of the Natural Resources Agency building and construction of a new building on O Street in Sacramento to replace the vacant Department of Food and Agriculture Annex and to better use that existing parcel of state‑owned land.
Using cash for this investment will allow projects to proceed more quickly and save money, allowing greater opportunities to incorporate mixed use into the projects, according to the plan.
The budget also allocates $807 million to address critical deferred maintenance needs at levees, state parks, universities, community colleges, prisons, state hospitals and other state facilities.
Addressing climate change
The budget continues the Brown Administration’s actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a $3.1 billion Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan that will reduce emissions through programs that support clean transportation, reduce short-lived climate pollutants, protect natural ecosystems and benefit disadvantaged communities.
The full summary of the governor’s budget proposal can be found online.
