On July 7, The New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) issued a press release to once again call on State leaders to reach a fair and equitable compromise on reauthorizing the insolvent Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) as county governments across the State prepare to shut down and delay over $90.0 million in critical road and bridge projects.
“The unprecedented shutdown of all work funded by the TTF is forcing county officials to cease operations at ongoing projects and delay new shovel ready ones that will cost valuable taxpayer dollars as contractors will undoubtedly seek costly delay claims and remobilization costs for lost time on the job,” commented NJAC Executive Director John Donnadio.
County and municipal roads and bridges carry over 55% of the State’s overall traffic and depend on approximately $190.0 million each year in Local Aid allocations from the TTF to mitigate the reliance on the collection of property taxes.
Counties alone have an annual need of approximately $565.0 million to operate and maintain an estimated 6,775 centerline miles of roads and over 7,140 bridges. Counties must also make vital capital improvements of approximately $2.85 million to repair, replace, and rehabilitate functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridges and culverts.
“State leaders must act now to reach a compromise on a stable, dependable, and long-term source of dedicated funding for the TTF, and to restore Local Aid allocations as county and municipal governments continue to struggle with delivering essential services in a cost-effective manner,” said Donnadio.
NJAC is committed to advocating for legislation, regulations, and policy directives that empower county governments to operate more efficiently and effectively. As a non-partisan organization that represents the only true regional form of government in the State with a proactive and unified voice, NJAC is dedicated to enhancing the level of service provided and save valuable taxpayer dollars.