Miner calls Cuomo comment 'not reasonable,' still seeks state money for Syracuse water mains

By Tim Knauss on February 06, 2015 at 9:22 AM, updated February 06, 2015 at 9:25 AM

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Mayor Stephanie Miner said she will continue to seek state money to pay for new water mains in Syracuse, despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo's statement this week that the city should pay for pipes itself by invigorating the local economy.

State legislators from Central New York have promised Miner they will seek additional funding for Syracuse infrastructure in the next state budget, the mayor said Thursday.

Allowing the century-old water system to deteriorate further is not an option, she said.

Syracuse had a record-setting 391 water main breaks in 2014, and at least 45 already this year.

Miner has pleaded with Cuomo for more than a year to send state money to fix the system, without success. She estimates it would cost $726 million to replace the 550 miles of water mains.

At an editorial board meeting Wednesday at Syracuse.com, Cuomo said city leaders should focus instead on reviving the local economy. The governor has proposed a statewide competition under which seven Upstate regions -- including Central New York -- could for vie three awards from the state of $500 million each to subsidize economic development. Proposals are due by July 1.

"Show us how you become economically stronger and create jobs," Cuomo said Wednesday. "Then you fix your own pipes."

Miner said Cuomo's statement belies the long history of state funding for roads, bridges, water systems and other basic infrastructure.

"Syracuse didn't pay for the Erie Canal,'' Miner said. "We didn't pay for the water mains and the 120-year-old infrastructure from Skaneateles (Lake) ourselves. The state pays for the Tappan Zee Bridge. The state pays for the MTA. The state pays for subways. They pay for the Peace Bridge. They help pay for (interstate) 81. They should help pay for our water mains. Just because they have walked away from it doesn't make it right.''

State Senators John DeFrancisco and David Valesky and Assemblyman Al Stirpe joined Miner at a December news conference to advocate spending the state's $5 billion windfall from bank settlements on infrastructure projects.

"Our Central New York state delegation has told me they will fight to get state infrastructure funding for us,'' Miner said. "They're going to do everything they can.''

The mayor said she is also reviewing President Obama's federal budget proposal for potential funding sources. She vowed not leave a crumbling water system to her successor when she leaves office in 2018.

"Syracuse has a crumbling infrastructure problem, and for the governor of New York state to come in and say, 'Figure it out yourself,' I think is not a reasonable response,'' Miner said. "But I don't have the luxury of just walking away from issues when the governor of New York state says something that is not reasonable. The people of this city elected me to solve problems, and I'm going to solve it. I'm going to figure out how to do this.''

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/02/still_seeking_state_money_for_syracuse_water_mains_miner_calls_cuomo_comment_not.html