NACo survey highlights infrastructure project needs
A NACo snapshot survey of 73 counties from 27 states reported that 2,388 infrastructure projects totaling an estimated $21.9 billion are “ready-to-go.”
The projects would create jobs and stimulate the national and local economies if funded by a new federal economic stimulus package currently under consideration by Congress.
Counties that responded represent more than 48.9 million U.S. residents or about 16 percent of the population.
NACo conducted the survey Dec. 1 through 12 of ready-to-go projects, which would help repair and renovate aging county infrastructure including transportation, water, healthcare and school systems throughout the U.S.
“County governments are poised to play a vital role in stimulating the economy, creating good jobs and providing essential, long-lasting benefits to the communities they serve,” said NACo Executive Director Larry E. Naake.
“In this era of shrinking county revenues, increased costs and growing demands for essential services, financial assistance from the federal government to the nation’s 3,068 counties is not only appropriate but critical for economic development and sustainable communities.”
Naake said that federal investment in the nation’s infrastructure should focus on both new and deferred projects that are ready-to-go, meaning the work can begin within 120 days.
Projects in the survey include airports, housing, roads, highways, bridges, clean water, sewer, sidewalks, public transit systems, communications technology, county government buildings and schools.
Because most of America’s infrastructure is built and maintained by counties and cities, NACo is urging the Bush administration, the Obama transition team and Congress to send stimulus funds directly to local government leaders via fair and transparent distribution formula.
“We believe that this is the fastest and most effective way to achieve the intended results of a federal stimulus package,” Naake said.
The survey results do not represent all the nation’s counties’ infrastructure needs, but demonstrate the nature of projects, the areas of need and the estimated costs to complete. Key survey responses showed:
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683 road and highways projects totaling $9 billion
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146 bridge projects totaling $322 million
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60 public transit system projects totaling $209 million
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63 airport construction projects totaling $386 million
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177 water system projects totaling $1.2 billion
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113 sewage treatment plant projects totaling $1.3 billion
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254 school construction projects totaling $4.3 billion
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309 county building projects totaling $2.9 billion, and
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29 hospital and health clinic projects totaling $200 million.
Local governments own and maintain 75 percent of the more than four million miles of public roads, about 50 percent of the nation’s nearly 600,000 bridges, and manage 90 percent of the public transit systems in the U.S. More than 98 percent of the nation’s investment in water infrastructure has been made at the local level.
About 87 percent of the nation’s airports are owned and operated by local governing authorities, virtually all public schools are owned and operated by local governments, and local governments play a major role in building the infrastructure for communication technologies, such as broadband development.
Visit www.naco.org to review the survey results.
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