Press Releases

Binghamton, NY – Local officials across Upstate New York thanked U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) for voting today to pass bipartisan Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills, which included $27,625,000 for community development projects in New York’s 19th Congressional District. Rep. Molinaro advocated for these funds, which will improve roadways and water infrastructure, provide housing to veterans, expand mental healthcare, and help EMS agencies upgrade equipment and facilities.  

Rep. Molinaro said, "I’m fighting for Upstate New York and delivering results. $27.6 million in federal funding is coming back to our community to provide housing to veterans, help EMS agencies, expand healthcare services, and address deteriorated infrastructure that has been long ignored. These are transformative projects that will make Upstate New York a better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Jason Garnar, Broome County Executive said, "The Broome County Veterans Resource Center builds on our commitment to the men and women who served on our behalf by providing various resources they need in one convenient location. When we approached Representative Molinaro regarding this project, he didn't hesitate to offer his support. Thank you to the Congressman for his efforts to secure this important funding."

Joshua Potosek, Sullivan County Manager said, “This project promises to bring economic development and living-wage jobs to an area ripe for business along our major transportation corridor. I thank Congressman Molinaro for moving this important piece of funding forward, and I also thank the Town of Thompson, Town of Liberty and Village of Liberty for being more than supporters but true collaborative partners in this initiative."

Jared M. Kraham, Mayor of Binghamton said, “This is a great first step toward securing federal funding for improvements to the Henry Street Corridor and downtown Binghamton. This project will improve multi-modal connectivity, make much-needed upgrades to critical infrastructure and enhance the streetscape on Henry Street, turning it into a vibrant and walkable commercial corridor. We appreciate Rep. Molinaro’s support of this project and look forward to the further revitalization of downtown Binghamton.”

Scott R. Templeton, Superintendent for the Greene County Highway & Solid Waste Department said, “This is a big boost for Greene County, Greene County Highway Department and more specifically the Hamlet of Leeds as this Community Project Funding will greatly help improve not only the storm water collection system but also provide safe parking for pedestrians to access the local businesses including ADA-compliant sidewalks and crosswalks in Leeds. I’d like to thank Rep. Molinaro for requesting and supporting this project as every additional funding source is greatly needed to improve our local infrastructure.”

Randal Mowers, Supervisor of the Town of Oneonta said, “I’m very pleased to see this step forward. Here’s a chance to improve public health and public safety in an area populated with healthcare facilities, schools, businesses, residents, and more. This water project is paramount and I thank Congressman Molinaro for his work to help us get it done.”

Brian J. Doliver, Mayor of the City of Norwich said, “The City of Norwich is pleased to receive the news that the Community Project Funding application to support improvements to our wastewater infrastructure was included in legislation by the House Appropriations Committee.  This award allows the city to make these necessary replacements without significantly increasing the level of debt and creating additional tax burdens for the residents.”

Jim Quigley, Town of Ulster Supervisor said, “When IBM left, they took with it a massive tax base that has prevented the Town of Ulster from carrying out major infrastructure projects. Rep. Molinaro’s advocacy for this project presents the Town with an opportunity to make a much-needed upgrade to our water infrastructure. This is an important project to protect access to clean drinking water and I thank Rep. Molinaro for his continued efforts to get this project funded.”

Timothy Ooms, Town of Kinderhook Supervisor said, “On behalf of the residents of the Town of Kinderhook, we would like to thank Representative Molinaro, and his team, for assisting us in securing this funding for a much-needed update to our water infrastructure. It is a project that will greatly benefit many of our residents, businesses, and Ichabod Crane School. We are incredibly excited to move forward with this project as we continue to improve our beautiful town.”

Rordan Hart, Mayor of the Village of Trumansburg said, “I greatly appreciate Congressman Molinaro’s efforts to secure funding for a new Fire & EMS facility for the Village of Trumansburg.  Our geographic location and the many hundreds of square miles that these two departments cover make the Trumansburg Fire & EMS Departments some of the most strategically significant emergency response agencies in the region.  Modern facilities will help ensure that life-saving coverage continues to be provided in the heart of the Finger Lakes.”

Jo Anne W Klenovic, Supervisor of the Town of Chenango said, “The Town of Chenango is extremely grateful for the efforts of Congressman Marc Molinaro to move forward the Town’s submission of an application for a Congressional Interior Appropriations Y24 Grant.  We are renovating a nearly 40 year old wastewater treatment plant with state of the art technology with energy efficiency allowing us to meet and exceed all of EPA ecological standards. The plant is required to be operational throughout the entire process which adds expense to the project. This renovation will take 4 years from start to finish and approximately $48 million to finance. It is essential for the Town to seek all financial opportunities on behalf of our Town residents. On behalf of the Town Board and the citizens of the Town of Chenango, I would again like to thank the Congressman and his staff for their support and efforts related to our critical needs.”

John Tillotson, Deputy EMS Chief for the MAVAC Ambulance said, "Over the past two decades, the Marathon Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (MAVAC) has experienced a remarkable 115% increase in our annual EMS call volume while our primary coverage area has expanded to now include six rural communities spanning 165 square miles of Central New York.  The unprecedented growth of our EMS organization has resulted in the need for significant additional space that includes adequate sleeping accommodations for our overnight EMS providers, additional truck bays for our growing fleet of emergency vehicles, dedicated facilities to support ongoing EMS training exercises, and secured storage for the EMS supplies and medications used on our ambulances. We are extremely grateful for Rep. Molinaro's support of this important ambulance station construction project and his steadfast commitment to ensuring that MAVAC has the resources and infrastructure necessary to continue providing the highest level of emergency medical care to the communities we serve in his district."

A list of the requests Rep. Molinaro made and brief descriptions of the projects can be found below:

• $5,000,000 for the City of Binghamton Henry Street Connective Corridor Improvements. The funding would be used for a complete reconstruction and streetscape improvements including narrowing the travel lanes of Henry Street and eliminating unnecessary slip lanes, addressing the perceived impact on safety due to lack of lighting, pedestrian crossings, ADA dropped curbs, and storm management.

• $4,200,000 for the Oneonta West Main Street Water & Sewer Extension Project. The funding would be used for installation of 7,000 linear feet of sewer and water lines and associated laterals, meters, and hookups.

• $3,500,000 for the Trumansburg New Emergency Medical Services and Fire Station Building. The funding would be used for construction of a new Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) facility to provide sufficient space for both Fire/EMS staff and add more garage bays for Emergency Service Vehicles.

• $2,000,000 for the Greene County’s Leeds Main Street Improvement Project. The funding would be used for stormwater and road improvements and curb and sidewalk improvements.

• $2,000,000 for the Town of Chenango Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements. The funding would be used to improve water infrastructure and address significant water quality issues.

• $2,000,000 for the Village of Monticello Water Treatment Plant Improvements. The funding would be used to build a new water treatment plant with all new treatment units, sodium hypochlorite instead of gas chlorine for disinfection, all new distribution pumps, and a new clear well.

• $1,250,000 for the City of Norwich Sanitary Sewer System Repairs. The funding would be used for the replacement of the sewer system.

• $1,250,000 for the Roxbury and Grand Gorge Water System Improvements. The funding would be used for stormwater and road improvements and curb and sidewalk improvements.

• $1,250,000 for the Village of Athens Wastewater Plant Rehabilitation. The funding would be used for repair of the wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure which is currently operating over capacity and has major repair needs due to cracked pipes.

• $1,200,000 for the Town of Kinderhook Water System Improvement Project. The funding would be used for a new water source, add roughly two miles of new water line, and replace a section of existing, end-of-life water line.

• $1,000,000 for the Broome County Veterans Resource Center. The funding would be used to supplement the construction costs of new housing to be built on an empty residential lot along a county-owned bus route in downtown Binghamton, where any veteran may find temporary/permanent shelter.

• $1,000,000 for the Town of Ulster’s Water District Tank Replacement Project. The funding would be used for the replacement of a water tank.

• $1,000,000 for Sullivan County’s Old Route 17 Corridor Infrastructure Project. The funding would be used to advance critical water upgrades to resolve existing water quality issues and for the extension and upgrade of the water distribution line, town water line and to connect it to the Commercial Industrial Zone on Old Route 17 in Liberty.

• $975,000 for Marathon Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc.’s New Ambulance Station Construction Project. The funding would be used for a new ambulance station.