MACo Associate Director Les Knapp testified in support of SB 189 before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on February 9.  The bill, sponsored by Senator Doug Peters, would make school construction planning and design costs eligible for State public school construction funding.

Currently, planning and design costs are not considered costs eligible for State funding, meaning that they must be borne entirely by the counties and local school boards.  These costs can be considerable and occur at the beginning of the school construction process.

Mr. Knapp noted that the bill would not have a fiscal cost to the State and provides an opportunity for evaluation with a sunset date of 2014.

SB 189 testimony.