By Senator Tom O'Mara
When the Legislature’s fiscal committees began public hearings on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2019-2020 proposed state budget back in February, I raised a few red flags.
One was that the governor had proposed the elimination of a $65-million “Extreme Winter Recovery” allocation that has become essential for counties, towns, and villages to maintain local roads and bridges. On top of the cut, the governor also proposed to keep funding flat for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, better known as CHIPS – the main source of state aid for local highway departments.
In light of Governor Cuomo’s cuts, I asked, who would be in the corner of our local highways departments to stand up and speak out for stronger – and desperately needed – state investment.
Keep in mind, an October 2017 report from the state comptroller found that bridges owned by local governments currently need an estimated $27.4 billion in repairs. In an earlier study, the state Association of Town Superintendents of Highways (NYSAOTSOH) estimated that New York would need to invest an additional $1.3 billion per year on local roads and bridges to prevent them from becoming deficient.
Remember, as well, that municipalities own and maintain 87% of the roads in the state, 52% of New York’s 18,000 bridges, and that 48% of the vehicle miles driven in the state are on local roads.
In March, at the height of budget season, more than 600 local highway superintendents and highway department employees from throughout New York were in Albany as part of the annual “Local Roads Matter” advocacy campaign. As part of this effort since 2013, I have joined Assemblyman Phil Palmesano and many of our legislative colleagues to call for increased state support for local roads, bridges, and culverts.
The “Local Roads Matter” campaign has made a difference. It has helped increase funding through the CHIPS program by nearly 40%.
In a March 4 letter to Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders, we wrote, “Local governments, for the foreseeable future, will continue to struggle to address budgetary demands in the face of the state-imposed property tax cap, rising pension and health care costs, and unfunded state mandates, among other burdens. Furthermore, despite the state’s increased commitment to CHIPS since 2013, base aid has remained stagnant over the past seven years. There is clearly a compelling case for New York State to address urgent local transportation and infrastructure shortcomings, and we believe it is simply the right thing to do. In order to meet the critical investment level needed to maintain and improve local roads, bridges, and culverts, a stronger state-local partnership is the only answer.”
I believed we made a strong case for a stronger state-local partnership. After all, Governor Cuomo is now out there touting that the final 2019-20, $175-BILLION state budget funds “the nation’s largest infrastructure program” at $150 BILLION over the next five years. The governor’s out there hanging his hat on the $25 BILLION this new budget will generate for the downstate, largely New York City subway system.
Yet this year’s state budget, when the Democrats were finally done negotiating it in the middle of the night early last week, includes not a penny more for CHIPS. That’s right, not a penny more. Worse, the final budget cuts the $65-million “Extreme Winter Recovery” allocation -- as if our Upstate region never experienced winter this season.
It’s a disgrace, but it’s also a strong, strong reminder – among many in this new budget – of what New York State government under one-party, New York City-based control holds in store for the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, and every upstate region.
There’s no one left standing in our corner – which means we’re going to have fight for ourselves like never before.
