Lowcountry officials have high hopes for Obama's stimulus plan

Local officials are hoping an economic stimulus package proposed by President-elect Barack Obama will help area road, bridge and other projects get off the ground.

The latest reports on the measure say there could be more than $100 billion put toward "infrastructure," a catch-all term that includes roads, bridges, school construction and water and sewer projects.

"Whatever may shake loose, we'll be in line for our share," said Bluffton Town Manager Bill Workman.

"We identified over $40 million in projects, and we had identified funding for under $21 million of that," and that was before the economy went downhill, Workman said.

The list includes road and sewer work on Buck Island and Simmonsville roads.

As the town decides what to delay or reduce in scope, Workman said federal money would be welcome.

"I personally think investment in infrastructure is a tremendous way to jump-start the economy, going back to the Hoover Dam," Workman said. The dam was built during the Great Depression.

Hilton Head Island town manager Steve Riley was also hoping the town would get a share of the money if a stimulus package is passed.

"We'd be foolish not to take a hard look at it," he said.

Riley said projects to rebuild Coligny Beach Park and construction work on several island fire stations might be worthy of federal dollars.

"At a time when we're slowing projects down because of a lack of money, it's something we need to look at. And some of the county's road projects would be prime candidates," he said.

County officials agreed with that assessment.

Weston Newton, Beaufort County Council chairman, said stimulus money would likely go to projects that are already planned in order to get Americans employed as soon as possible.

He said the county's road projects that are being funded by a 1-cent sales tax fit that category. Rob McFee, director of county public services, said several of the $129.6 million in road projects that have been planned are past the design stage, and construction could begin quickly.

The county has already requested $86 million through the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank to finish the road projects, but with the state facing budget shortfalls, the bank has no money to disburse. The county is on a waiting list.

Dean Moss, general manager of the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, said several of the authority's projects may fit in with a stimulus package.

"We have projects to put water and sewer services into areas where we have failing septic systems," he said. "These projects are public health-related and are always harder to pay for."

Moss said the authority would need $1 million to $2 million for that immediate need, but he said the authority is in good financial shape and doesn't have a desperate need for stimulus money.

"We'll keep an eye on it," he said, "but I like to think we can fend for ourselves."