Gov. Nixon announces $16.1 million in construction projects for Missouri veterans’ homes, cemeteries

Governor’s budget office worked with Veterans Commission to ensure funding was available for both the capital improvements and for ongoing operations at the homes

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – July 28, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Gov. Jay Nixon announced more than $16.1 million in capital improvement projects that will benefit each of the seven veterans’ homes in Missouri and two of the state’s cemeteries for veterans. The Governor said his budget office worked in close cooperation with the Missouri Veterans Commission to ensure there were sufficient funds available for both the construction projects and for ongoing operations of the veterans’ homes for the next five years.

“I am very happy to move these projects forward that serve and honor Missouri’s veterans, who have earned and deserve our support and respect,” Gov. Nixon said. “I particularly appreciate how the Veterans Commission and its staff worked closely with us to make certain that the long-term funds were there to provide ongoing services to the veterans at the homes as these important construction projects proceed.”

The projects at the homes include:

• $4,876,501 for the purchase and installation of emergency back-up generators at each of the Missouri veterans homes in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mount Vernon, St. James, St. Louis and Warrensburg;
• $1,976,987 for replacement of the fire sprinkler system in St. James;
• $1,367,529 for roof replacement at the St. James home and $846,580 to replace the roof at the Mexico home;
• $959,127 to construct a chapel and $328,169 to construct a sitting room/sun room at the Warrensburg home, and identical amounts to construct a chapel and sitting room/sun room at the Cameron home. The sun rooms will be therapeutic for veterans who cannot go outside; and
• $2,822,682 for construction of a columbarium wall at the Higginsville Veterans Cemetery, and $1,638,879 for a columbarium wall at the Springfield Veterans Cemetery. The walls would hold the cremated remains of veterans.

In the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, the General Assembly reduced general revenue support for ongoing operations at the veterans’ homes by $8 million from the level recommended by Gov. Nixon, replacing that amount with money from the Veterans’ Homes Funds.

Because of the ensuing concerns about the long-term solvency of the Veterans’ Homes Funds, the Governor’s budget office worked closely with the Veterans Commission to ensure that the available funding could support the capital improvement projects and the ongoing operations of the veterans’ homes. Increased federal funding will help support the operations of the homes.