MARVIN MANDEL, Governor

4031

FOR the purpose of making the renovation or remodeling of
existing public school facilities a construction or
capital improvement cost which is payable by the
State under the Public School Construction Program ;
and providing for certain exceptions to the
provisions of this Act.

May 15, 1975.
Honorable John Hanson Briscoe
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill
1020.

This bill amends the Public School Construction
Program law, in particular Section 130A(c) of Article 77,
to provide that the cost of renovating and remodeling
existing school facilities "is a construction or capital
improvement cost which is payable by the State, if it
constitutes an improvement or alteration which will
increase the usefulness or extend the life of the
facilities." Although the bill excludes certain
maintenance costs and programs costing less than $50,000
and having a useful life of less than fifteen years, it
includes programs involving "code violations that result
from amending State laws."

The Interagency Committee for State Public School
Construction has advised me that, under existing
guidelines, approximately $1,000,000,000 in planned
renovation projects are eligible for State funding. This
bill, in the Committee's judgment, would make an
additional $400,000,000 to $500,000,000 in remodeling
projects eligible, placing a further burden on the
program in that amount plus approximately 58.8% more in
interest costs. Items such as the conversion of boilers
to comply with the clean air laws, and the replacement of
ceiling tile which is not acceptable under existing fire
codes would be submitted for State funding.

In addition to these items, I am very much concerned
that enactment of this bill will encourage the
subdivisions to curtail, more than they already have,
programs of required maintenance and preventive
maintenance, with the expectation that when the
facilities deteriorate enough, the required restoration,
renovation, or replacement will be a capital cost paid
for by the State.