There's a lot less to go around this year. And that includes capital-outlay funds allocated by the governor and members of the Legislature at the end of the annual session.

The forecast estimates lawmakers will have $157 million to spend on things like libraries, senior centers, water systems and roads.

Last year they got to divide up more than $500 million.

On Monday, representatives from two dozen organizations made a pitch for a piece of the pork before two groups of constituents representing Sen. Peter Wirth and Rep. Brian Egolf.

For several years, Wirth has asked people who live in his district to help him evaluate the requests. The process, he said, "gives me a real feel for what the constituents in my district see as priorities and helps me make these decisions."

This year Egolf, who is succeeding Wirth, joined him. "With less money, it is more important than ever to have coordination," Wirth said.

The process also gives people looking for capital outlay "a realistic sense of what the lay of the land is," he added.

That's a message the public seems to be getting. Many of the capital-outlay seekers acknowledged they had cut their wish lists this year.

"We are very cognizant of the fact that this is probably not the best year to be asking for a lot of things," said Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez.

Among other things, the district is seeking $500,000 for security-camera systems at Piñon and four other elementary schools; $1.8 million for security fencing at Capital High School, DeVargas Middle School and Agua Fría Elementary School; $75,000 for a records-retention system that would help the district comply with public-records requests; and $350,000 for an information hot line.

The county's priorities include funding for road improvements, a water system and a wastewater system in Agua Fría. The city's top priorities are the Buckman Direct Diversion project, the Santa Fe River restoration and further renovations of the main police facility on Camino Entrada.

The Eldorado Community Improvement Association is looking for money to improve 17 miles of subdivision roads in the poorest condition. The Eldorado Area Water and Sanitation District is seeking $75,000 to proceed with the re-drilling and upgrading of Well A so that it will be able to meet peak demand. "If we hit a hot day, we can't make it," Jerry Cooper, the board's vice president, told the committee.

Santa Fe Community College President Sheila Ortego said the school is looking for $405,287 for equipment for its new Health and Sciences Building, which is slated for completion in May 2010. The requests include equipment to simulate real-world patient care facilities, a dental laboratory sterilization center and respiratory-therapy equipment, including a chest-tube mannequin.

The public library is requesting $1.1 million for the third phase of improvements and upgrades to the La Farge Branch, which includes a new data-wiring system, a book-security system and renovation of the public entrance.

A contingent of homeowners from Nava Adé, a subdivision south of Rodeo Road, is seeking capital-outlay funds for a new park.

In the next week or so, Wirth and Egolf said they will sit down with their advisers to discuss the requests.

Egolf said he was interested to see how the impressions of members of his committee, which includes constituents from Lamy to Santa Fe, might differ from his own. Although he's waiting to hear their responses, he said he's looking to get the biggest bang for the buck. For example, he said he might choose an allocation that serves a large number of people over a series of smaller grants.

Eventually the House — but not the Senate — will hold hearings on the capital-outlay requests. Then there will be negotiating between the executive and legislative branches over statewide priorities. And in often mysterious politicking in the waning hours of the session, some projects will be funded and others will not. The goal is to get the bills to the governor by mid-March.

This year, all $157 million will come from severance-tax bond revenues. Because this is an odd-numbered year, there is no general-obligation bond money. And unlike recent years, there is no money from the general fund for capital projects.

In fact, the estimate for the budget deficit is $454 million for fiscal year 2009.

So what does this mean for members of the Legislature and the pet projects of their constituents?

If recent past practices are continued, the capital-outlay money will be divided in two, with half going to statewide projects approved by the governor and the Legislative Finance Committee. The other half will be split three ways between the House, the Senate and the governor.

Although the severance-tax bond capacity was estimated at $385.7 million last month, some of the money has already been allocated for the Spaceport ($33 million) GRIP (Governor Richardson's Investment Partnership) projects, a sewer system and other certified projects, leaving $157 million to be divided up.

That means that the 42 members of the Senate will have $623,000 each to spend, while the 70 members of the House of Representatives will have $373,000 each.

As a state representative from Santa Fe last year, Wirth had $824,000, he said.

But nothing is forever. At a news conference today, the governor said he was planning to de-authorize $263 million of capital-outlay projects approved in previous years.

Contact Anne Constable at 986-3022 or aconstable@sfnewmexican.com.

Citizen advisory committee for Sen. Peter Wirth

Lorna Calles

Jennifer Croy

Don Dayton

Gary Friedman

Tony Ortiz

Lisa Bemis

Andres Romero

Terry Rivera

Carol Romero Wirth, co-chair

Citizen advisory committee for Rep. Brian Egolf

Caye Perry

Evalyn Bemis

Reed Shelton

Phil Bové

Suzanne Poteet

Deborah Boldt

Gilbert Romero

Laurel Seth

Greg Pringle

Michael Namingha

Quarrier "Q" Cook, co-chair

Sampling of 2009 capital-outlay requests

City of Santa Fe: $4 million, Buckman Direct Diversion project; $1 million, Santa Fe River restoration from Guadalupe Street to Old Santa Fe Trail; $1.5 million for Phase 3 of the Police Department renovation

Santa Fe County: $1.5 million for Cuatro Villas water system; $1.8 million for Agua Fría wastewater system; $300,000 for Camp Stoney Road, $1.3 million for Phase 3 of Vista Grande Library

Santa Fe Community College: $214,000 for head walls, power columns, etc. for new Health and Sciences Building; $191,287 for respiratory therapy and dental program equipment

Santa Fe Public Library: $1.1 million for new data-wiring system; book-security system; renovation of the entrance; new furnishings; and major site improvements at the La Farge Branch

Santa Fe Public Schools: $500,000 for security-camera systems; $1.8 million for security fencing; $75,000 for records retention; $250,000 for LEED certification support for a new elementary school; $1.7 million for athletic fields and walking tracks at three schools; $350,000 for an information hot line; $325,000 for Power Academy for Learning; which targets students nearing proficiency in English and math; and $125,000 for Capturing Kids' Hearts, a program addressing social anxiety theory, personal growth, socializing students and other topics

Eldorado Community Improvement Association: $1.7 million for base course on 17 miles of roads

Eldorado Area Water and Sanitation District: $50,000 for engineering on a new well to meet peak demand

Eldorado Senior Center: $75,000 for planning and design of 1,500-square-foot expansion

Trust for Public Land: $50,000 to complete Railyard Park and Plaza

Nava Adé: $225,000 for entryway and portal for a neighborhood park

The Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe Community Housing Trust, Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center, La Familia Medical Center, Women's Health Services, Santa Fe Children's Museum, YouthWorks, Warehouse 21, Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Zona del Sol, National Dance Institute of New Mexico and La Tierra Association were among others making capital-outlay requests Monday to committees for Sen. Peter Wirth and Rep. Brian Egolf.