Raises proposed for teachers, others
Gov. Joe Manchin proposed a $4.066 billion budget plan for 2008-09 on Wednesday - a budget that includes $81 million for 3 percent raises for teachers, school service personnel and state employees.
The election-year budget also proposes spending about $364 million in surplus revenue carried over from the current budget year for a variety of one-time appropriations.
"We're trying to do major one-time funding of things that do not build anything into our [ongoing] base budget," said state Budget Director Mike McKown.
That includes more than $90 million for a number of improvements and upgrades to facilities around the state Capitol complex. That amount also includes $20 million to be set aside for emergency repairs to state buildings.
One-time appropriations also include $50 million to expand a matching fund for research grants at West Virginia University and Marshall, and $30 million for what is expected to be two advanced job-training specialty centers to attract new business investment to the state.
The one-time appropriations also set aside $5 million in the event the state closes negotiations to buy privately owned property in the Blackwater Canyon.
The budget also sets aside $20.4 million to establish a trust fund to help the state prepare for an expected multimillion-dollar spike in Medicaid costs, beginning as early as 2010.
Among proposed pay increases, the budget includes $32.7 million for 3 percent raises for professional educators, as well as $10.8 million for an additional $400 across-the-board raise for classroom teachers.
Also, the budget proposes using $20 million for "sizeable" signing bonuses for math, science and other "critical need" teaching positions, according to deputy chief of staff Joe Martin.
The budget includes $10.7 million for 3 percent pay raises for school service personnel, and $20.36 million for 3 percent raises for state employees.
However, employees of Corrections, Regional Jails, and Juvenile Services are budgeted for $2,004 across-the-board raises as part of a plan enacted last year to give $5,000 raises over three years.
Also, Manchin's budget proposes $3,000 across-the-board raises for state mine inspectors.
Overall, the base budget of $4.066 billion - which includes all state tax collections and state Lottery profits - is about a 3.5 percent increase over the current 2007-08 spending plan.
However, Deputy Revenue Secretary Mark Muchow warned that growth in state revenue is projected to slow to slightly below 1 percent in 2008-09, as a variety of state tax cuts and a general slowdown in the economy will have an impact.
Total state spending, including the base budget, federal appropriations, and special revenue accounts, is expected to total $10.3 billion in 2008-09, which is a decrease over the current total, McKown said.
To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, use e-mail or call 348-1220.