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FEDERAL FUNDS IMPACT REGION

Stimulus funds help with some "shovel ready" projects around the Fredericksburg area

Date published: 6/12/2009

By DAN TELVOCK

Most of the federal stimulus funds for the Fredericksburg area so far have helped education and local governments balance their budgets.

But by 2011, the focus will shift to transportation and energy efficiency.

Some local government officials said the hastily passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is confusing, but others said they are pleased that money will be coming to their localities over the next two years.

Spotsylvania County has received the most money in this region, more than $46 million. Other localities, such as Fredericksburg and King George County, have so far been skipped over on requests for millions of dollars in transportation and sewer upgrades, getting funds mostly for education.

Virginia localities have sought $465 billion worth of projects, and requests for money from state residents fill 916 pages.

In January, local government officials sent to the state lists of "shovel ready" projects, which could begin six to eight months after funds are received.

Regionally, the projects included $300,000 to finish a park in Spotsylvania's rural Belmont area; $900,000 for a concession building, bathrooms and field lighting at King George's Sealston Sports Complex; and $90 million for Rocky Pen Reservoir in Stafford County. None has received money at this point.

HOW THE AREA FARED

King George Board of Supervisors Chairman Joseph Grzeika said he was disappointed with the $3.5 million the county got. The school system used $1.3 million to avoid laying off teachers.

"I think we put in some projects that had a lot of merit, ready to go, and there was no money," he said. "It just came for the schools."

Grzeika said upgrades to the county's sewage infrastructure, a new sheriff's office operations center and animal control office will just have to be prioritized with all of the other projects listed.

He said the process was hastily done and a bit uncoordinated. There was not much assistance or guidance in how to best apply for the money, he said.

There were 9,160 funding requests submitted from Virginia, and about 1,495 were selected: $1.8B Health and human resources $1.5B Education $811M Transportation $81M Natural resources $44M Public safety These figures came from the state and the Virginia Stimulus Team, whose Web site warns that the data may not be complete or accurate. WHAT'S AHEAD In fiscal year 2009, nearly two-thirds of recovery act funds estimated to be spent by states will be in the area of health. By fiscal year 2012, spending in transportation, community development, energy, and the environment will represent approximately two-thirds of the $23 billion in recovery act funds, according to the federal government recovery Web site. ON THE WEB stimulus.virginia.gov/projects recovery.gov This is an occasional series in print and online about the federal stimulus package's impact on our area. To see earlier stories from the series and more multimedia content, visit fredericksburg.com.

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Date published: 6/12/2009

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