By Kevin Jefferies
Commerce –
Along with passing landmark school finance legislation, the Texas Legislature also approved $1.8 billion tuition revenue bonds for construction projects at Universities throughout Texas. One such project is a new music building for A&M-Commerce.
$21.7 million was approved for the project that has been a need for the A&M-Commerce campus for some time. University President Keith McFarland said the approval of the projects was just the start of the process, however.
MCFARLAND:One is the authorization for the project itself, and that's just what the legislature did; and then the second phase, that they'll deal with in the next legislative session, is actually appropriating the money.
McFarland also said that while the approval of the actual funds in not guaranteed, he feels confident the money will be there if the economy stays strong.
MCFARLAND:If the economy stays strong like this, I think we're going to be OK. And it appears, at least for the next year or so, that the economy will remain strong. So I think that's going to be key. I feel very confident about what's going to happen next year.
The funding should be approved by the Texas Legislature one they convene in regular session in January.