OPINION — In his current campaign for re-election Mayor Friedel promotes he will continue to invest money fixing our streets, but has he told you everything? No!
Friedel, and other ROT candidates, promised a “roads first” priority. They are failing. Some additional funds have been spent fixing some streets, in part by a windfall from Federal COVID funds. But Friedel ignored the Citizens Advisory Streets Committee (CASC) statement in 2023 that “without significant additional revenues, street network maintenance levels cannot be achieved (backlog) which means streets will continue to deteriorate, creating failing conditions from which the Town cannot possibly recover.”
Three years ago “significant additional revenues” was estimated at $40 million just to fix streets and $10 million for intersections. Can you imagine what that price tag is today?
