Some towns weighing whether to defy road construction ban
Originally appeared in New Jersey Star-Ledger
By: Larry Higgs
July 25, 2016
As the state shut down of road projects continues due to funding issues with the Transportation Trust Fund, municipal officials are deciding whether to finish construction projects or gamble on waiting for a legislative solution.
The projects of most concern are the ones on local streets near schools which officials had hoped would be complete before kids headed back to the classroom.
Officials in at least 10 percent of the states 566 municipalities are facing that quandary, said Joseph Tempesta Jr., Mayor of West Caldwell and president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities .
“Each municipality has to make a difficult decision to finish a road project and risk not getting reimbursed, or to stop work, stiff the contractor and hope they don’t get sued,” Tempesta said. “You have safety issues to consider and potential legal issues to worry about.”