Highway superintendents in Orleans press Hochul, Legislature to not cut road funding

Provided photo

LOCKPORT – Highway superintendents from Orleans County attended a press conference in Lockport today with State Sen. Rob Ortt to speak out against a proposed $60 million cut to CHIPS, which is used for road paving and improvement projects.

Pictured in front row, from left: John Papponetti, Commissioner of Orleans County DPW; Jason Watts, Medina Public Works superintendent; Eric Maxon, Kendall highway superintendent; and Ed Morgan, Orleans County Legislator and retired Murray highway superintendent.

Back row: John Olinger, Ridgeway highway superintendent; Kurt VanWycke, Carlton highway superintendent; Mike Neidert, Albion highway superintendent; Roger Wolfe, Yates highway superintendent; Devan Freeman, Lyndonville Public Works superintendent; Tracy Chalker, Clarendon highway superintendent; Dale Root, Shelby highway superintendent; Mark Radzinski, Gaines highway superintendent; and Dale Brooks, Barre highway superintendent.

Ortt said he will press Hochul and the Legislature to not decrease CHIPS funding.

“Local roads and bridges are essential to our communities, and need regular maintenance and continued investments to guarantee a strong economy and better future for our residents,” Ortt said. “This job is made more difficult by skyrocketing costs for materials and labor, in addition to proposed funding cuts by the Governor. I am proud to stand alongside our local highway and public works officials calling for an increase in state funding to CHIPS and in support of critical investments in our infrastructure.”

Ortt said Hochul is proposing a $60 million cut in CHIPS funding and a $40 million reduction in State Touring Route aid for a $100 million drop in local road funding.

“At the same time, we have been hit with record high inflation of nearly 60 percent on highway construction materials, which obviously sends the cost for projects through the roof,” Ortt said. “So, a combination of less funding and much higher costs means fewer projects getting done, which translates into further deterioration of our infrastructure.”

 Papponetti, the Orleans County DPW commissioner, said local roads account for 87 percent of all roads in the state and carry 48 percent of all the vehicle miles traveled. However, they receive less than 12 percent of taxes and fees paid to the state for maintaining local roads.

“It costs five times more to rebuild a bridge and 16 times more to replace pavements that have become deficient than maintenance treatments and repairs to kept our infrastructure in a state of good repair,” Papponetti said. “This is not a time to be cutting, but a time to be increasing our investment in local roads and bridges.”