Page 10 - Nov/Dec Vol34 No5

STATEWIDE By Dave Keiser

TACIR Addresses Public Infrastructure

One of the greatest fiscal challenges of work for projects already approved by to report the same needs year after year,
facing elected officials is paying to fix the Tennessee General Assembly. The and even fast growing counties can find it
or replace aging infrastructure. As local inventory’s much larger estimate of $25.2 difficult to meet their needs. And, relative
populations grow or migrate, new class- billion for transportation (not includ- to county population, counties with small
rooms must be built and equipped to meet ing the category’s other $215 million for populations need and complete just as
students’ education needs; as roads and other utilities) includes all transportation much for more infrastructure than coun-
bridges wear out, they must be repaired or improvements identified by State and ties with large populations. Five coun-
replaced to ensure the public’s safety; and local officials as needed, whether or not ties—Davidson, Shelby, Rutherford, Wil-
as outdated water lines begin to crack and any funding has been approved or is even liamson, and Montgomery—account for
fail, they must be upgraded to carry clean likely to be forthcoming. 42.7 percent ($5.9 billion) of the needed
drinking water safely and efficiently. These $13.8 billion in infrastructure improve-
examples are just a few of the demands Officials are confident in obtaining ments reported by local officials.
confronting State and local officials as funding for only $11.8 billion of the $32.7
they struggle with the daunting task of billion needed to meet infrastructure So, why do we rely on the public sector
matching limited funds to seemingly improvement needs. These figures do not for roads, bridges, water lines, and school
unlimited needs. include improvements for which fund- buildings instead of looking to the private
ing information is not collected, such as sector? The private sector does a fine job
To catalog the state’s infrastructure improvements at existing schools or those of providing goods and services when it
needs, the Tennessee Advisory Com- in State agencies’ capital budget requests. is possible to monitor and control their
mission on Intergovernmental Relations Most of this funding, $11.3 billion, is use and exclude those who cannot or will
recently published its annual report on for improvements that are fully funded; not pay an amount sufficient to generate
infrastructure improvements needed another $528 million is for improvements profit. In the interest of general health and
at some point over the 5-year period of that are partially funded. That leaves safety, excluding users is not always desir-
2014-2019. The current total is $41.5 another $20.9 billion of improvements for able, and profit may not always be pos-
billion, down slightly ($299 million or which funding is not yet available. sible. Public infrastructure is the answer
0.7 percent) from last year’s report. Costs when the service supported is essential to
for infrastructure are reported in six In general, the more people a county the common good and the private sector
general categories. Transportation and has and the more its population grows, the cannot profitably provide it at a price
utilities totals $25.4 billion and consists more infrastructure it will need and, for- that makes it accessible to all. Therefore,
of transportation capital improvement tunately, the more wealth it will likely have we look to those who represent us in our
projects reported both from the State and to pay for those needs. Some counties are public institutions to set priorities and
the local government level and utili- able to meet their infrastructure needs find ways to fund them.
ties, like natural gas, electric, and fiber more easily than others, some continue
optic. Education needs reported by local
school systems and public higher educa-
tion institutions total $8.5 billion. Health,
safety, and welfare needs (the broadest
category) are reported by State Depart-
ments, local water utility districts, public
works, sheriffs’ departments, and housing
authorities, total $5 billion. Recreation
and culture needs total $1.6 billion and
consist of parks, libraries, museums, his-
toric sites, and community development.
The General government category totals
$614 million and is made up of public
buildings. Economic development totals
$379 million and consists of industrial
parks and business district infrastructure
improvements.

Many Tennesseans involved in infra-
structure planning know that the Tennes-
see Department of Transportation reports
an approximately $6 billion backlog of
projects, but this figure includes only the
total estimated cost of remaining phases

10 TPW November/December 2016