The Hon. Stephen Benjamin, former President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2018 to 2019 and current Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina recently submitted an op-ed article published by Morning Consult on the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ recently passed resolution to support local control of water infrastructure projects. In the op-ed article, he notes that infrastructure projects will be one of the best ways to kickstart the economy and states. He mentions, “according to a report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, deteriorating infrastructure and service disruptions increase costs to families, many of whom were struggling even before the pandemic. Those costs could reach as high as $14 billion by 2039 unless we take action now by investing in water infrastructure projects. The report notes that such an investment would protect almost 636,000 jobs and protect $2.9 trillion in gross domestic product.” He goes on to state “In cities, counties and other municipalities around the country, there are dedicated professionals who have the knowledge, training, and experience to know how best to deliver clean drinking water to meet the needs of their communities. They exercise their expertise when they create local community-wide specifications for their water systems. We can show our trust in them by deferring to their pipe specifications — instead of restricting their choice through heavy-handed state and federal mandates.” For the full op-ed article, please click on the following link: https://morningconsult.com/opinions/kickstart-the-economy-with-infrastructure-projects-done-right/.