NEW HAMPSHIRE’S FASTEST GROWING ONLINE NEWSPAPER

Bolstering infrastructure investment a big boost for N.H. cities and towns

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State Sen. James Gray (Courtesy photo)

To the editor,

This past session, the Senate was able to address some key issues in our communities while creating an economic climate that grows jobs and allows local employers to expand.

I worked to ensure that the needs of our cities and towns are being adequately met. One of our biggest focuses was to stop the declining infrastructure of our roads, bridges, and schools. We did all of this through smart budgeting and without increasing taxes or fees on the hard-working men and women in our state.

We appropriated $36.8 million to towns and cities to be used exclusively for road and bridge projects with an additional $30.4 million to immediately address the state's red-listed bridges. Modernizing our road infrastructure ensures greater public safety and is appealing to new industries or businesses looking to New Hampshire to open shop.

We also approved an additional $1.4 million to bolster school infrastructure fund and make sure schools across this state have their safety needs met, protecting our children and educators.

In addition, mental health and substance abuse treatment continues to be among the most pressing issues facing our state. With this in mind, we overhauled New Hampshire Granite Advantage Health Care Program, directly addressing our state's mental health care and substance abuse needs. The revised Granite Advantage program also includes fair work requirements with opportunities for individuals to return to the workforce with the education and training they need to succeed.

This program, in addition to more funding for substance abuse treatment, provides the community resources that many need. Last session, I also worked on a needle exchange program to reduce the transmission of diseases as a secondary result of substance misuse.

We repurposed nearly $2.5 million to the Affordable Housing Fund, which was set up to help people with mental health or substance abuse problems, transition from hospital beds into self-sufficiency.

We've also created opportunities for businesses across our state by lowering business taxes, and driving down the unemployment rate at the same time that our state boasts the highest job availability in the country.

I look forward to serving my constituents and to continue addressing these issues facing our state well into the future.

Sincerely,

Senator James Gray

Senator James Gray (R-Rochester) serves the District 6 communities of Alton, Barnstead, Farmington, Gilmanton, New Durham and Rochester. He also serves as Chair of the Public and Municipal Affairs committee, Vice-Chair of the Election Law and Internal Affairs committee and as a member of the Health and Human Services committee.

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