State Funds Needed for Local Road Resurfacing

State funds for critical local infrastructure needs for roadways and bridges are shrinking, further increasing the pressure on local governments to raise property taxes to fill the gap. Scarsdale Mayor Jon Mark sent letters to the Chairmen of the NYS Transportation Committee Joseph E. Robach and David F. Grant asking them to re-appropriate funds for road re-surfacing.

Here is the text of the letter.

April 7, 2016
The Honorable Joseph E. Robach
Chairman, New York State Senate Transportation Committee
188 State Street Room 803, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247

Dear Senator Robach,

The Village of Scarsdale is disappointed that the adopted FY2017 New York State budget fails to adequately address pressing un-funded local infrastructure needs, including roadway rehabilitation/reconstruction and bridge repair or replacement, as well as other non-transportation infrastructure essentials. While the State does provide The Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) support, funding levels have not kept pace with increasing costs.

The cities, towns, and villages of New York are struggling to maintain infrastructure critical not only to the social, environmental, and economic health of localities, but also to that of the State of New York. Deferred maintenance contributes heavily to a deteriorated road network and significantly amplifies costs associated with roadway rehabilitation, once such important repairs are finally possible to undertake. Local fiscal constraints, including flat or declining non-property tax revenues, severe limitations on property tax revenue growth as a result of the State of New York's tax cap legislation, sharply escalating costs that are beyond local control, such as employee health premiums through the New York State Health Insurance Program, and reductions in necessary State revenue sharing all contribute to a downward spiral in local roadway conditions, as there is simply not enough revenue to rise to the infrastructure challenges with which we are confronted.

The new status quo, one where critical infrastructure is neglected and increasingly results in reduced reliability and higher costs to taxpayers, is not sustainable. As the safety and reliability of New York's infrastructure continues to erode, we are placing our future economic competitiveness and the desirability of our communities at risk.

I urge you, as New York State Senate Transportation Committee Chair, to increase the visibility of this substantial local concern and encourage additional FY2017 funding to be re-appropriated in support of local roadway resurfacing and rehabilitation.

Very truly yours,

Jonathan I. Mark