POULSBO — Bight of Poulsbo founder and Poulsbo Marine Science Center advocate Bill Austin made a public promise Monday morning about the center’s future.

As crews continued refurbishing the building’s interior, Austin said, “We’ll have something to show on May 18.”

May 18 this year will mark the beginning of the three-day celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day in Poulsbo — better known as Viking Fest.

However, whether Austin and PSMC supporters will be able to showcase the foundation of a new marine science education center or merely a nice aquarium at that time is largely up to the state Legislature.

“The Senate passed its budget Saturday, and the Poulsbo Marine Science Center is not in it,” 23rd District State Rep. Sherry Appleton (D-Poulsbo) said Monday morning.

The city has requested an additional $250,000 from the state to provide PMSC organizers more time to develop their own funding sources. In the 2006 session, Poulsbo received $250,000 from the state. The expectation was that a similar gift would be forthcoming this year.

“We’re trying so hard to get it in,” Appleton said. “We’re just going to have to try harder.”

Getting $250,000 from the state is critical to the center’s future, said Poulsbo Mayor Kathryn Quade.

“We have to get the full funding, because it gives us a full year to get other grants to support it in subsequent years,” Quade said.

The city requested the initial moneys for the center from the state with the assurance and expectation that one more year of funding would be available, she said.

When asked what might happen if the Legislature fails to come through, Quade said she remains hopeful that scenario won’t become a reality.

Just because the center wasn’t included in the Senate’s budget doesn’t mean things won’t change before the session ends, Appleton said.

“We still have budget negotiations left, and we’re going to do everything we can to get in it,” she said.

The work being done at the center itself, as well as the outreach program at Suquamish Elementary School in March, are crucial in showing legislators how important the PMSC is by demonstrating its potential, she said.

Ultimately, the center’s future could be decided in the next three weeks when the 2007 legislative session concludes. On this note, Appleton said she is committed to fighting for the funding until the very end.