Walz seeks $2.6 billion in capital investments.

Byline: Kevin Featherly

Gov. Tim Walz is being both more and less generous than his predecessor in his first major capital budget proposal for an even-year bonding session.

It all depends on where you look.

Overall, Walz's offer is considerably bigger than Dayton's 2018 capital projects recommendationwhich, in any case, got pared down by lawmakers.

Walz wants the 2020 Legislature to approve $2.6 billion in capital investments. That breaks down to about $2 billion in general obligation bonds and just under $600 million from sources like appropriation bonds, user-financed bonds and general fund cash. Most of that, in one form or another, is borrowed money.

Dayton in 2018 requested roughly $1.7 billion overall. Of that, about $1.5 billion was in general obligation bonds, the rest from other sources. The Legislature ultimately passed a $1.46 billion bonding bill that yearbut only $825 million took the form of general obligation bonds.

One area where Walz is a little less generous than Dayton is Capitol complex security. In 2018, Dayton recommended $24.4 million to upgrade security features in the Judicial Center, State Office Building, Centennial Building and other government-owned buildings around the Capitol. Just $10 million was approved.

This year, despite a $17 million bonding request from the Advisory Commission on Capitol Area Security, Walz is offering just $10 million. The commission also wants another $10 million in cash for the security project, but those would have to be included in a separate, supplemental budget request.

In part, Walz said, the security recommendations reflect his administration's desire to fund Greater Minnesota projects at parity with metro projects. The governor and his team spent months traveling the state and examining needed public works and infrastructure projects before making recommendations.

"One Minnesota does mean that," Walz said. "We haven't forgotten that those things matter out there."

Walz said more money could become available through an off-year, supplemental agency funding request. But he has cautioned commissioners and others not to expect too much to come of that.

"I've been very clear to our state agencies who have needs and are wanting to get those inset your expectations pretty low on a supplemental [budget]," the governor said. "Because from a fiscally responsible perspective, I think that needs to be a relatively low one."

Specific projects

Among projects of interest to attorneys who...

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