Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) has joined Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R-Corning) and State Senator Tom O’Mara (R-Big Flats) in penning a letter to the Governor and State Legislative leaders calling for increased funding for local roads in the 2015 State Budget.

The Governor cut a $40 million appropriation for local roads for extreme weather recovery from his proposed 2015 Budget Proposal. Total CHIPS funding for 2015 is proposed at $438.1 million.

Under the proposal which Thiele supports, $100 million would be added to the CHIPS program. These funds would restore the $40 million cut by the Governor and add an additional $60 million in new money for local roads.

In addition, the proposal would earmark a portion of the estimated $5.4 billion surplus generated by bank settlements in the amount of $100 million a year for five years for a total of $500 million to a establish a “State Aid to Local Roads, Bridges and Culverts” program. These funds would also be distributed through the CHIPS formula. This would insure that every community throughout the State would benefit from these settlement funds and that the one shot revenues generated by the settlement would go for capital investment.

Thiele stated, “It is imperative that New York State address the shortcomings of its local transportation infrastructure. Studies show that 32% of bridges are deficient and 40% of roads are rated fair or poor. This has been exacerbated by the current harsh winter which still has at least a month to go. 87% of roads and 50% of the State’s 18,000 bridges are the responsibility of local government. At a time when local governments are facing both increased infrastructure demands and a property tax cap, it is imperative that the State Budget provide local governments with the resources they need to make our roads and bridges safe.”