The North Carolina Department of Transportation is distributing more than $185.6 million in State Street Aid to 508 municipalities that participate in the Powell Bill program. Cities and towns will use the annual allocation to resurface streets they maintain within their corporate limits.
Eleven Moore County municipalities qualified for the funding: Aberdeen, Cameron, Carthage, Foxfire, Pinebluff, Pinehurst, Robbins, Southern Pines, Taylortown, Vass, and Whispering Pines.
“Powell Bill funds often bridge a meaningful gap in resources, helping cities and towns keep up with demands on their local transportation systems,” Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson said in a statement. “We are pleased to help address these critical needs and grateful to our state leaders for their continued support of this program.”
Half of the allocation went out earlier this fall, with the remaining funds scheduled to be distributed by Jan. 1, according to Molly Stevens, the program’s coordinator. The funding brings a boost to many local governments, including 110 communities hit hardest by Hurricane Helene.
Municipalities can spend Powell Bill funds on more than resurfacing. Eligible uses include maintaining, repairing, constructing, or widening streets, bridges, and drainage areas within corporate limits. The money can also support bike paths, greenways, and sidewalks. Each participating municipality must file the required documentation annually to remain qualified.
Gas taxes and other highway user fees fund the program. State law sets a formula for distributing the aid, based on population and the number of municipally maintained street miles.
The program is named for Junius K. Powell, a former state senator and mayor of Whiteville who sponsored the 1951 bill that created the funding source for local street work. The first allocation totaled $4.5 million and served 386 municipalities.
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~ Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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