Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D-Cicero) announced he helped pass the 2017-18 state budget, which provides critical funding to help rebuild and replace aging local infrastructure, including drinking and wastewater systems, as well as roads and bridges. The budget also supports farmers and spurs job growth.

“The state budget cuts taxes for farmers, invests in our communities and helps more Central New Yorkers get good-paying jobs,” Stirpe said. “From protecting our water so it’s safe for our families, to repairing our roads and bridges so they get us where we need to go, the budget moves Central New York forward.”

Increasing employment opportunities

The state budget includes the Empire State Apprenticeship Program, which provides tax credits and grants to businesses that hire apprentices. This measure helps bridge the workforce skills gap by linking employers and qualified potential employees. Apprenticeships combine school work and on-site job training in various fields such as nursing, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and information technology. Apprentices learn valuable skills while earning a paycheck, Stirpe noted.

“Central New York has a sizeable amount of good-paying jobs; we just need to make sure people can access them so they can achieve rewarding careers and support their families,” Stirpe said. “The Empire State Apprenticeship Program is vital to our local economy and I’ll keep working to expand our workforce opportunities.”

Supporting farmers

Farmers are vital to our community, providing locally grown, quality food while helping strengthen the local economy. The final budget includes a 25 percent tax credit for food farmers that donate food banks, which reducing their cost of doing business and helps local families in need put food on their tables.

Additionally, the budget allocates funding to help dairy producers protect water quality at their farms. “We have to invest in our communities’ agricultural industry,” Stirpe said. “Our farmers continue to propel the local economy.”

Upgrading water systems, fixing roads and bridges

“Central New Yorkers deserve to have access to safe, clean drinking water,” Stripe said. “The state budget includes funding to repair or replace the pipes carrying water to our homes, businesses and schools.”

The state budget includes $2.5 billion to help revamp local water infrastructure, a $500 million increase over the governor’s proposal, including $1 billion for the 2015 Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2015. Building on past Assembly efforts, the budget invests in protecting our water, including:

• $350 million for clean water infrastructure projects after 2021;
• $245 million for water quality improvement projects;
• $150 million for inter-municipal water infrastructure grants;
• $130 million for drinking water remediation and mitigation of contaminated drinking water;
• $110 million for land acquisition projects for source water protection;
• $100 million for municipal water quality infrastructure programs;
• $75 million for upgrades and replacements of septic systems and cesspools;
• $50 million for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs);
• $20 million for the replacement of lead drinking water service lines; and
• $10 million for IT system upgrades related to mapping technologies.

In addition, the budget increases funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Program (CHIPs) and Pave NY by $65 million to help local governments pay for road and bridge improvements without burdening local taxpayers. Moreover, it provides $65 million for the Extreme Weather Recovery Program, making total funding for the state’s local highway system $643 million. It also increases the state Department of Transportation (DOT) Road and Bridge Capital Plan by $130 million.