NYSAOTSOH & State Lawmakers Deliver Major Budget Victories for Local Roads

NYSAOTSOH & State Lawmakers Deliver Major Budget Victories for Local Roads

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By Fred Hiffa

  • SECURES A RECORD $60 MILLION CHIPS INCREASE STOPS  CONSOLIDATION EFFORT TARGETING OUR MEMBERS INCREASES CHIPS FUNDING IN DOT'S 5 YEAR PLAN

In what was the tightest state budget in over a decade NYSAOTSOH delivered on its member's priorities. Realizing this would be a very difficult budget year the Board ramped up its efforts this fall commissioning the state's first 20 Year Needs Study of Local Roads and Bridges. Association President Tim Spring personally briefed the state's key transportation decision makers on its findings including; DOT Commissioner Astrid Glynn, Senate Transportation Chair Tom Libous, Deputy Transportation Secretary to the Governor Tim Gilchrist and senior aides to Speaker Silver, Senate Majority Leader Bruno and Assemblyman Gantt.  President Spring outlined the $45 billion in needs for our local system and emphasized the devastating impact runaway inflation on construction materials is having on our local roads and bridges. Coupling this with the outstanding turnout we had this year at Advocacy Day – Our State Legislators heard our message and reacted very favorably. Please thank your Assemblymembers and Senators.

When the state budget was finally passed on Wednesday April 9th the combined efforts of all our members' hard work paid off:

  • CHIPS capital funding was increased by $60 million over the Executive's Budget proposal and $51 million over the SFY 2007-08 level. The total SFY 2008-09 CHIPS funding is $363 million.
  • The legislature rejected an effort by the Executive to unfairly increase CHIPS allocations for only those localities that take over Town highway departments. This poorly conceived plan would have unfairly targeted the elimination of Town Highway Departments. In recognizing our concerns the Legislature removed this proposal.
  • With our urging the Legislature also rejected a proposal by the Executive to reduce the amount of financial data that is publicly reported on the Dedicated Highway Fund. This information will be critical for our Association as we develop our next five year transportation plan.
  • The Executive's State and Local Bridge program was also rejected by the Legislature. While our bridges are in need of additional funding this program was poorly conceived giving local bridges only a third of the program's funds even though we have half of the state's bridges. Additionally, the plan would have had the DOT deciding which local bridges would be repaired with virtually no input from our members.