The state Senate took a step
Wednesday to provide critical funding to the West Virginia Parks system.
The Senate passed SB 346 that will
take $48.5 million from state Lottery profits and allocate $6.5 million to
the park system. More than half of that total, $3.7 million, will help Canaan Valley
State Park
Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Roman Prezioso told fellow senators the rest of the money, more than $41 million
will go toward Medicaid, senior services, and the Lottery’s senior
citizens fund. Prezioso said the funding for Medicaid is needed because of
a revenue shortfall in the current state budget.
“Actually what this supplemental
does is it makes Medicaid whole again in this year’s existing budget,” Prezioso
said.
State Revenue Secretary Bob Kiss said
a number of issues have combined to put the parks system in a budget crunch.
“They simply have not had the
resources to run the park system the way they are running it,” Kiss said.
He said the legislature would have
to approve the additional money by the end of January to avoid shutdowns and
layoffs.
State Commerce Secretary Keith
Burdette said the funding at Canaan
Valley
Canaan Valley Resort General
Manager David Herscher said the money would be a big help.
“We were delayed a little bit just
from weather conditions early in the process and the renovation and this is
going to help supplement us as we move forward,” he said. “It will help us
provide wonderful service that repeat guests have come to know and the new ones
will enjoy.”
The bill now goes to the House of Delegates for consideration.
