Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney (R,C-New Hartford) praised a group of state legislators who introduced plan to increase state support for local sewer infrastructure. The Safe Water and Infrastructure Action Program (S.W.A.P.) would provide essential funding to New York’s crumbling infrastructure.
“It is imperative that the people of Upstate New York see their tax dollars used for community infrastructure projects,” said Tenney. “For too long Upstate’s money has been sent to other parts of New York or misused on pork and pet projects and that is simply unacceptable. We have sewer systems and water mains dating back to the early 1900s, some constructed with wood, placing the safety of our communities’ water at a tremendous risk. During this year’s budget negotiations I intend to restore safety to our communities and make infrastructure funding fair for Upstate New York.”
S.W.A.P. would provide annual funding to all municipalities in the state to allow them to identify and replace old, deteriorating pipes, water mains and gas lines to better maintain the state’s infrastructure. The lawmakers, who are seeking inclusion of S.W.A.P. in the 2016-17 State Budget, also announced separate, companion legislation (A.9651) to create the program.