CHENANGO COUNTY – Whether highway improvement funds are restored for Chenango and any other upstate county remains to be seen, according to Public Works Director Randy Gibbon.

Upon recently returning from an advocacy day in Albany, Gibbon said getting Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funding back to last year’s levels “may not happen at this point.”

“It’s going to be a battle between downstate and upstate once again. The Governor’s proposal was for restitution of CHIPs for only upstate. That’s not going to go over too well,” he said.

Chenango County was initially slated to lose an estimated $500,000 in CHIPs funds for 2008-2009 year. Gov. David Paterson later restored it for towns, villages, counties and small cities.