The Erie County Legislature Majority Caucus has requested the County Executive designate an additional $5 million for road work that was not included in the 2014 Road Project List. In a letter delivered today to the County Executive, the Majority Caucus requested his support of its proposal to spend $5 million of the county’s nearly $90 million undesignated fund balance for additional road work this year.
The proposal came after today’s special session where the Legislature approved (11-0) the administration’s Road Project List, which allocates $27 million to address many infrastructure issues. Today’s approved funding of $27 million includes $15-17 million of county funds with the balance made up by state and federal funding, according to the Budget Office.
“Recognizing that time is of the essence, the Legislature called today’s special session to get critical repairs started as soon as possible. We have a short construction season and any delay could cause significant problems for motorists. Today’s vote triggers substantial state and federal funding that will allow us to address numerous road and bridge issues,” said Chairman John Mills. “Of the $27 million approved, only a portion is county funding. The county needs to invest more of our resources into our infrastructure. Allowing minor issues to become major problems is much more costly in the long run, which is why we must address the concerns now.”
The Majority Caucus will submit a resolution at its next session, Thursday, May 8, requesting the immediate allocation of $5 million from the fund balance. Eight votes (two-thirds of the Legislature) are required to spend additional money from the fund balance. The Majority Caucus, which has six members, has asked the County Executive to demonstrate his commitment to the county’s infrastructure by supporting the proposal and helping to garner the additional necessary Legislature votes.
Approval of the funding would allow the county to undertake several road projects that are not included in the 2014 Road Project List.