A coalition of economic development and chamber of commerce leaders want the state legislature to step up to pay for infrastructure as they plan the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Infrastructure money is expected to be featured in the next stimulus package to restart the economy once the pandemic subsides. Colorado leaders from both parties had hoped to invest hundreds of millions of dollars each year to help catch up to $9 billion in needs over the next decade, according to an estimate issued during the Trump administration. 

“Fortunately, Colorado and CDOT are well prepared in its planning with many shovel-ready projects and the willingness of contractors to increase its workforce to meet the work demand,” the letter states.

“It’s imperative, therefore, that the state dedicate general fund resources necessary for infrastructure investment to ensure the state is well positioned to put these federal dollars to work for Colorado.”

Backers of the Colorado pitch noted Thursday that President Trump has called for a $2 trillion infusion into the national transportation system, similar to his $1 trillion promise as a presidential candidate four years ago.

Chambers of commerce are urging lawmakers to pounce on that opportunity.

“This country has a history of spurring job creation and economic recovery through smart investments in infrastructure,” Sandra Hagen Solin, spokesperson for Fix Colorado Roads, said Thursday. “Colorado lawmakers should act boldly and take the necessary steps to ensure Colorado gets our fair share of what will likely be unprecedented federal funding for transportation that will help put hard-working Coloradans back to work and, at the same time, fix one of our state’s most critical needs.”

The letter was directed to members of the Joint Budget Committee: Chair Daneya Esgar of Pueblo, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger of Arvada, Sen. Dominick Moreno of Commerce City, Sen. Bob Rankin of Carbondale, Rep. Julie McCluskie of Dillon and Rep. Kim Ransom of Littleton. 

The letter is signed by:

• David May, president and CEO of the Fort Collins Area Chamber
• Rod Slyhoff, president and CEO of the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce
• Diane Schwenke, president and CEO of the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce
• Jaime Henning, president and CEO of the Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce
• Mindy McCloughan, president and CEO of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce,
• Chris Romer, president and CEO of the Vail Valley Partnership
• Rich Werner, president and CEO of Upstate Colorado
• Carol Salter, chair of the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance
• John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce
• Scott Ehrlich, president and CEO of Ehrlich Motors and chair of OneNoCo
• Kevin Hougen, president and CEO of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce
• Scott Cook, president and CEO of the Longmont Chamber of Commerce
• Andrea Meneghel of the Northwest Chamber Alliance

The request was cc’d to Gov. Jared Polis and House and Senate leadership in both parties.

The full letter states:

As Chamber and economic development leaders in Colorado, we are in the business of making our local communities and economies thrive. We are now doing our best to ensure our communities and economies not only thrive, but survive by supporting our businesses, employers and employees.

The March 2020 Economic Forecast projected a dim economic picture in the near term, and perhaps for a longer period, as a consequence of COVID-19 and the Russia/Saudi Arabia oil price war. You have difficult decisions to make as you assess the needs of our citizens in this very trying time as you build the fiscal year 2020-21 state budget.

Alongside the physical health and safety of Coloradans is their important economic health. Investments in both will be critical to moving through this difficult time as quickly as possible.

Once the physical health and safety of Coloradans has been considered through important appropriations in the budget, we urge state expenditures to assure and provide an economic safety net to those most vulnerable to losing their jobs, to provide businesses at greatest risk a bridge to the other side of this uncertain time and invest in ways that immediately stimulate a quick economic recovery.

On the last point – invest in ways that immediately stimulate a quick economic recovery – we encourage you to make a significant general fund investment in Colorado’s transportation infrastructure.

As advocates for funding of our infrastructure, we have long argued that our economy rests on a solid infrastructure foundation. However, today, our encouragement for infrastructure investment is about job and work creation.

On Friday, March 20, former Secretary and Mayor Federico Pena, newly appointed Chair of the Governor’s Emergency Council for Economic Stabilization and Growth, noted that counter cyclical stimulus investments in infrastructure are an essential long-term economic recovery strategy, further saying, “This state needs to invest more in infrastructure.” We agree.

Public sector investment in construction of infrastructure has long been a proven method to stimulate economic recovery from economic declines. We only look as recently as the 2008 Great Recession and the stimulus provided by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as an example.

Yesterday, President Trump and Congressional members, including our US Senators Gardner and Bennet, indicated that the next phase in Congress’ response to the economic implications of COVID-19 should include an economic stimulus package that will rest largely on a road and infrastructure building program. While details are yet to be hammered out on a $2 Trillion package, past transportation funding packages, including ARRA, required state matching dollars to access the available funds. Should this similarly be the case in a future package, CDOT currently has few extra dollars to spare to leverage and be positioned to take advantage of any available federal dollars.

Fortunately, Colorado and CDOT are well prepared in its planning with many shovel-ready projects and the willingness of contractors to increase its workforce to meet the work demand.

It’s imperative, therefore, that the state dedicate general fund resources necessary for infrastructure investment to ensure the state is well positioned to put these federal dollars to work for Colorado.

There are few places within the state budget in which you can make expenditures that will have quick and immediate job creation impacts. These expenditures have the added benefit of creating a place for certain displaced workers to land, to earn a comparable income to provide for their families and creating a critical economic stimulus in the process.

Thank you for your strong consideration of this request.