Greene County programs, projects getting over $100M through state budget, federal funds

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said a nonprofit organization in Springfield was receiving $6 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding. The money was set out for a nonprofit organization in another city.

Springfield and Greene County will see a flood of more than $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds flow to projects and programs in the region.

Eight line-items in Missouri's federal spending plan are dedicated to improvements, renovations and investments for nonprofits, Missouri State University and resources in the county, in addition to a few other line-items in the state's operating budget, which went into effect Friday.

Springfield Mayor Ken McClure in a statement Friday thanked local legislators from both parties who serve or have served on the budget committee: Reps. John Black, Betsy Fogle, Craig Fishel, Alex Riley and Curtis Trent. He lauded vice chair Sen. Lincoln Hough, who McClure said had "shown great leadership and diplomacy" for "benefits to our community that have not been realized in decades."

"We are pleased with the news that many important Springfield projects will receive funding from the state of Missouri and are thankful for the governor's support," McClure said.

Ryan DeBoef, assistant to the president for governmental relations at Missouri State University, in a statement said the new budget provided a "historic level of operating funding" and "important projects for our students and our community."

"We are beyond grateful to Gov. Parson, U.S. Sen. (Roy) Blunt, Sen. Hough, Sen. (Karla) Eslinger, and our other supporters in Congress and the Missouri General Assembly for their support," DeBoef said. "Their work will have a transformative impact on our students and the greater community for generations."

Two projects totaling $12.5 million — repairs to the Jefferson Avenue footbridge and the creation of a public park space at Jordan Creek — were vetoed by Parson on Thursday evening when he signed the budget. Many others, however, remained untouched. Here's what the region can expect to see.

Missouri budget:Gov. Parson signs $47.5B spending plan, cuts tax rebates and two Springfield projects

Springfield

• Discovery Center of Springfield: The nonprofit science center and museum will receive $500,000 of federal dollars for capital improvements.
• Ozark Empire Fair Foundation: The nonprofit dedicated to youth in agriculture will receive $10 million in ARPA funds for the planning, design and construction of a youth agriculture education center in coordination with Springfield Public Schools.
• Cooper Park & Sports Complex: The 100+ acre fields and facilities will receive $13.5 million from ARPA for maintenance and improvements.
• Springfield-Greene County Library District: The library with branches in Springfield, Fair Grove, Strafford and Willard will receive $6 million in federal dollars for maintenance and improvements.
• Care to Learn: The Springfield-based nonprofit focused on health, hunger and hygiene will receive $2.5 million to expand statewide.
• Jordan Valley Community Health Center: Jordan Valley, which offers services at nine locations and two school clinics in Springfield and across southwest Missouri, is among the federally qualified health centers set to receive $550,000 to expand mental health services.
• Drew Lewis Foundation: The nonprofit's Reaching Independence through Support and Education (RISE) program will receive $950,000 of state dollars, $250,000 of which is new, one-time spending.

Missouri State University

• $30 million of federal dollars will be allocated toward the creation of a Center for Transformational Education for Life, Physical and Health Sciences. The building will house MSU's biology, chemistry, health, geography, geology, planning, mathematics and computer science departments, effectively expanding and renovating the existing STEM academic buildings.
• $7.5 million for the completion and operating costs of an autism center on the university's West Plains campus.

Republic

• $25 million will be dedicated to wastewater improvements and projects in the city.
• The city will receive $4.5 million in federal dollars for planning, design, maintenance and construction for the Republic Branch Library.

Click here to read the full text of the American Rescue Plan Act spending bill. Click here to browse the full list of Parson's vetoes and explanations.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com, (573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.