Congressman John Duarte (R-Hughson) came to the Central Valley on Monday with more than $26 million to dole out Community Project Funding checks, which is under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024.
"I am pleased to join a bipartisan group of Republicans and Democrats to pass legislation to fund the Federal government in Fiscal Year 2024 that not only cuts wasteful government spending by $9 billion while preserving critical programs, but also includes more than $26 million in funding at my request to support critical local infrastructure, law enforcement, roads, and water projects in our district," Duarte said.
Duarte delivered $5 million for the Bureau of Reclamation’s Los Banos Creek recharge and recovery project, along with $3.53 Million for the City of Modesto’s 9-1-1 Call Center; $276,000 for the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency; $1.2 Million for the City of Turlock’s Sewer Extension Project; $1 million for the City of Turlock's Stormwater Infrastructure Project; $1 million for the City of Madera's Sewer Trunk Main Project; $1 million for the City of Madera's Storm Drain Pipeline Replacement Project; $5 million for the City of Mendota's Pavement Project; $3.24 million for Madera County's Parksdale Community Road Rehabilitation Project; $95,000 for the City of Huron's Las Casitas de Lola Domestic Violence Shelter Project; $2 million for the County of Fresno's Cantua Creek Sidewalk Improvements Project; and $3 million for the County of Fresno's Tranquility Complete Streets Project.
“Every congressional office has the option to participate in community projects,” said Duarte. “Now, these used to be known as earmarks, and they got a bad name because, in the old days, they were abused. So, community projects have real restrictions on them now. They have to be shovel-ready, you can’t just put the money in the bank account. They have to be for a community-public entity … so a lot of the abuses have been curtailed and cut away, and that’s great, because it’s a great program.”
The San Joaquin River Flood Control System has been impacted by subsidence originating in the El Nido/Red Top Area located in Merced and Madera counties. The subsidence has reduced flood flow capacities of the system while increasing flood risks for adjacent lands and facilities. In addition, the Los Banos Creek area suffers from multiple hazards that compound each other and ultimately increase the risk of damage to infrastructure.
The $5 million in funding will support the Los Banos Creek Recharge and Recovery Project, which includes construction of approximately 200 acres of recharge and storage ponds and seven recovery wells along Los Banos Creek between the California Aqueduct and the Central California Irrigation District Outside Canal.
The project would receive flood flows from both the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers together with surface water from Los Banos Creek, the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority member agencies, San Luis Water District, CCID Main and Outside Canals, or through exchange from other contractors. The Delta Mendota Canal and Outside Canal would be used to convey flood water to be stored for later use. Water wells will be piped to the DMC and CCID Outside canals to augment drought impacted water supplies.
“This is the one program where as a Congressman, I can go to entities within my district and find different categories of community projects and submit them,” said Duarte, who is wrapping up his first term in Congress. “I think the limit is $8-10 million maximum per project, and not all of them get funded. The appropriators have their way with them, and they prioritize them, but out of 15 filed we got 13 funded, which we’re very excited about.”
Reporter Joe Cortez contributed to this story.
