Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson and Sen. James Skoufis announced $500,000 in state funding for paving damaged roads in the City of Newburgh on Monday at First Street. This funding is an add on to the annual CHIPS funding that the City receives.

The funding was given in two separate $250,000 grants. These grants will be distributed through state and municipal facilities program. First street is one of many areas in the City that is in desperate need of paving, as it’s full of potholes. It will be repaved with the funding.

“When we [he and Jacobson] started representing the City of Newburgh,” said Skoufis. “We tried to item by item help tackle some of the challenges that have persisted in the City of Newburgh. One of them certainly, one of the most glaring one is the state of the roads, the infrastructure in the City of Newburgh.”

The City has put aside funding in its own budget for road repaving. In the City budget there is already $500,000 put away for annual road paving.

“It really requires significant influx of additional dollars to be able to catch up and make this city’s roads and infrastructures where it should be,” said Skoufis.

“Residents need good roads to get to schools, shops, doctors, and places of employment,” said Jacobson. “No one can afford the loss of time or money inflicted by a flat tire or broken axle due to poor streets.”

According to Jacobson, the City currently receives funding from CHIPS, PAVE-NY, and extreme weather funding. Still, that funding only comes when the city expends its own money. “When the city spends money, we’ll get the money from other funds that every municipality has. This will in fact double the amount of money available for paving the streets,” said Jacobson.

“People don’t expect the world from government,” said Skoufis. “People expect the basics from government. Maintaining the quality of roads is one of those basics.”