Guest Viewpoint: Broome County development, housing are highlights of 2024

This week I delivered my State of the County Address at the Broome-Tioga BOCES Campus. From producing nurses, welders, and automotive technicians, to introducing college-bound students to real-life work experiences, BOCES plays an important role in developing and training the Broome County workers of tomorrow.

After seeing a 30% increase in their programming over the past 10 years and expecting strong growth for the future, they are starting a $46 million capital improvement project, including much-needed renovations to their main campus, a new trades complex, and a two-story career and technical building addition.

All of this construction at BOCES is just one of the many construction projects you'll see across the entire county in 2024: Broome is building!

The state of Broome County is strong because we are building more than ever before. Over $500 million in construction projects will be underway this year − which means Broome County will see more construction in 2024 than it has in a generation.

Take a look across our community, and you’ll see cranes and construction workers on job sites all across Broome County. They’re building housing, parks, airports, hospitals, malls, roads, bridges, and everything in between.

Broome County is on track to build over 500 units of housing in 2024 alone. Our larger economic development projects this year include the Oakdale Commons, the new UHS Wilson tower, and the renovation of Boscov’s. With over $250 million in funding awarded to Binghamton University for battery research, development, and manufacturing, we have the opportunity to build lithium-ion batteries right here in our community.

Broome County will pave a record 84 miles of roads this year. Our new Greenlight Networks Grand Small softball park officially opens this spring, which will attract thousands of players and their families including hosting the NY State Softball Championships. We will also break ground on the redevelopment of Grippen Park, renovating the entire building, adding six pickleball courts, a skating rink, an outdoor basketball court, an accessible playground, a wiffleball stadium, and an official flag football field.

We also broke ground on our new Veterans Resource Center, which will put all of our veterans services under one roof, construct 10 tiny homes for veterans, and become a model for the entire country on how we should take care of our veterans.

We will also invest in public safety by adding several new deputies to the Sheriff’s office, and the entire replacement and modernization of our new emergency communications network will be completed in 2024.

We’ve been able to make these investments and also be fiscally responsible. We’ve lowered the county property tax rate over 20% over the past seven years and have grown our fund balance, allowing us to eliminate short-term debt while achieving a perfect financial rating from the NY State Comptroller's office.

As we look ahead to 2024, Broome County faces a busy year of growth and development. The progress we achieve this year will undoubtedly strengthen our community for generations to come.

Jason Garnar is the Broome County Executive.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: State of the County: Broome development, housing highlights of 2024