Monroe County officials are planning a major investment in infrastructure, a move they say will create thousands of jobs and boost economic development.
County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo and Director of Transportation Tim Frieler gathered with local and state officials at the County's Fleet Center on Paul Road to announce a major investment in roads and bridges, highway lighting and equipment.
Dinolfo says infrastructure projects are the building blocks of our modern economy.
"In 2018 alone, the county is going to invest approximately 32 million dollars in local infrastructure projects," she said.
Dinolfo says the investment will expand to at least $180 million dollars in local infrastructure projects through 2024.
"We're looking at almost four thousand jobs created by this investment over the course of the funding period," she said.
Dinolfo cites a Duke University study that says shows for every $1 billion dollars invested, 21,671 jobs are created.
She says two-thirds of the money for the projects this year comes from taxpayer dollars in the County's Capital Improvement Program, approved by the Legislature, while the rest of the funding comes from state and federal partners.
Funding for future years is included in Dinolfo's proposed Capital Improvement Program, which the legislature will consider this year.
One immediate infrastructure concern for many drivers are potholes.
But Monroe County Transportation Director Tim Frieler says funding for those repairs come out of the department's annual operating account.
"Potholes are repaired daily using our operating money, using our own forces, for the most part," he said.
Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo says the county plans to invest about $32 million dollars this year in local infrastructure projects: