BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York State Comptroller's office says the money meant for infrastructure may not go in the direction supposed to be intended.
"The trust fund was created back in 1991 when Mario Cuomo was in office, and just a decade later, more of that money was paid for debt services instead of its intended service for bridges and roads,” says Deputy Press Secretary Matt Ryan.
Ryan says Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli says this issue has come up three times in Dinapoli's 12 years in office.
He says people have reported a pattern of less money going to capital projects and more on debt services.
"So what we've seen is that the problem has gotten worse to the point where just 17 cents of each dollar front the taxpayers headed towards new capital projects and obviously Comptroller thinks that's not enough."
The State Department of Transportation says Governor Hochul has proposed a $32 billion capital plan framework for the next five fiscal years.
Ryan says the executive budget proposal reflects President Biden's billion-dollar infrastructure bill.
He says Dinapoli's critical to spend this money now because it will not last long.
"Policymakers in Albany really have to plan what's next after those five years," Ryan says. "We have to make sure that the money in that trust fund for these capital projects is more than just 17 cents in a dollar. So I think Comptroller Dinapoli wants policymakers to think long term."
Hochul's proposal also includes more than six billion dollars for local governments to improve bridges and pavements.
