The contentious melee that mired the State legislature in a three-month delay—the longest ever—finally reached some sort of resolution on Wednesday, June 28 when members of the Virginia House of Delegates approved a $72 billion state budget (minus $22 million Republicans stripped out at the last minute). Although Governor Tim Kaine has until July 7 to offer amendments or veto the two-year spending plan, area delegates are ready to hail at least one aspect of the proposed budget, the money doled out to UVA.
It was a good year. The State budget includes $149 million for UVA’s Academic Division for FY 2006-07—a figure that accounts for 15 percent of UVA’s academic budget. An additional $18.8 million was given for research, along with $47 million for capital projects. The UVA Medical Center took home $25 million in State money for a new cancer center.
All told, UVA is raking in nearly $240 million in State money for the next two years.
“In terms of funding from the budget, this has been a relatively strong year for UVA,” says Delegate Rob Bell (R-Albemarle). “In terms of research deals, this has been one of the better years,” he says, referring to the Cancer Center as the “crown jewel.”
Bell says any money granted to UVA as a boon for Charlottesville. “UVA is the economic engine for the entire region, and the area’s single largest employer by a pretty large margin,” Bell says. Delegate David Toscano (D-Charlottesville) cites repeated studies showing that each dollar spent on the University generates a “multiplier” effect. “It reverberates in the community,” he says, “creating more jobs, economic activity and ultimately millions of dollars of impact.”