Local elected officials are lobbying for a significant proportion of the State's $5 billion surplus to go towards crumbling infrastructure in Central New York. Mayor Stephanie Miner, along with others, are working with the coalition Rebuild NY Nowto improve aging roads, bridges, and water and sewer lines across the state. Miner says the challenge for local leaders is to build a lasting solution that revolutionizes the older model.
"How do you take a one-hundred year old infrastructure and make it resilient and sustainable? But part of this is a real engineering challenge to say to the best and brightest among us, 'we have a fraction of what we need, but tell us how we can be resilient and jumpstart the 21st century with the infrastructure that we have using the money that we have to move forward.'"
Although the money will only be a fraction of what Central New York needs, Senator John DeFrancisco says long-term investments are needed now to save money and promote economic growth in Central New York.
"You either pay now or you pay later and that's the problem. We haven't been paying now for so long, we're paying more later. If we are trying to talk economic development, what company is going to come into a state where they can't get to point A to point B and they're having a water break every six weeks. It's partly not only the quality of life, but part of what's got to be provided to draw companies into the state. It's got to be what they see when they get here."
The Senator cited Syracuse's frequent water main breaks as a problem. DeFrancisco says he expects about 70 percent of the state's surplus to go towards infrastructure. Lawmakers and Governor Andrew Cuomo will negotiate on how best to spend the surplus when the legislature returns in January.
You can visit Rebuild NY Now's website here.