You can’t say that governor Kathy Hochul doesn’t know how to stretch a dollar. On Wednesday afternoon, August 31 she “announced” a state loan to the City of Kingston of $6,184,958 in short-term, interest-free financing and a $1,975,000 grant for wastewater treatment plant upgrades. It was part of a $232-million package of such grants to seven municipalities.
“Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $232 million to seven municipalities for drinking water and sewer infrastructure projects that are crucial to protecting public health and the environment,” said the lead sentence of the governor’s release.
The second sentence in the release said that the grants and low-cost financing awards had already been publicized. What was new was that the board of directors of the state Environmental Facilities Corporation had approved the projects.
The financial assistance will provide capital to local governments to help get shovels in the ground for critical projects. The board also approved various long-term financing conversions that provide interest relief for completed projects and help reduce debt for municipalities.
In an unrelated release an hour and a half later, the governor announced she was lighting up the sky at 14 landmarks and bridges across New York State. They were being illuminated in purple and silver in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day.
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