Blue Earth County, Minn., officials are urging state passage of a capital bonding bill as a means of creating jobs and infrastructure enhancement in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our area needs funding for our local bridges, roads and other basic infrastructure,” Commissioner Vance Stuehrenberg, board chair, said.“Blue Earth County has 25 deficient bridges that need replacement in the next two years, as well as two additional bridges that need repair now. The dollars needed for local road and bridge projects around the state were included in the House and Senate bonding proposals, but we need passage of a final bill for those projects to happen.”
Blue Earth County officials maintain traffic decreases in recent months amid COVID-19 has resulted in reduced state transportation funds, acknowledging gas tax and motor vehicle sales tax revenues are expected to be impacted while local revenue dedicated to transportation could also decline.
State bond funds aid in addressing potential revenue losses, positioning local governments to maintain transportation systems.
“We need our state legislators to make passage of a capital bonding bill a top priority and get it done in July so work can begin before the end of the year on some of these important infrastructure projects,” Stuehrenberg said. “Delay will cost jobs that are desperately needed and will only increase the cost of projects for taxpayers.”