Today Governor Inslee released his proposals for the state’s 2023-25 biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets.
The governor’s operating proposal includes the state’s share of a 4% compensation increase effective July 1, 2023, and a 3% increase effective July 1, 2024 for all Western employees. The operating budget proposal also includes the following biennial investments at WWU:
- $3.4 million for IT upgrades
- $4.7 million for expansion of Western on the Peninsulas programs
- $2.8 million for First Year Retention
- $1.5 million for an M.S. in Clean Energy & Climate Solutions
- $1.3 million for Community, Safety and Resiliency initiatives
- $3.6 million for Preventative Facility Maintenance and Building System Repairs
Governor Inslee’s 2023-25 Capital Budget proposal includes the following capital construction investments at Western:
- $53.75 million for design & construction of the Student Development & Success Center
- $10 million for partial design of the Heating Conversion Project
- $9.34 million for Minor Works – Preservation projects
- $8.475 million for Critical Safety, Access Control, and Fiber Optics Upgrades
- $500,000 for predesign of the Environmental Studies Building renovation
- $1.5 million for Classroom, Lab, and Collaborative Space Upgrades
- $3 million for Minor Works – Programmatic projects
The release of the governor’s budget proposals marks the beginning of the State’s biennial budgeting process. The Legislature will convene for the 2023 Session on January 9th, when state lawmakers will consider the governor’s budget proposals and begin negotiating the final biennial budgets that are scheduled to be finalized in late-April.