Towns receive highway funding
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 14, 2008 1:46 PM
Wayne County's six municipalities have received more than $1.34 million in state highway funding.
The funds are a mix of State Street Aid, also known as the Powell Bill Fund, and Highway Trust Fund money distributed by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The funding helps municipalities pay for maintenance, repair, construction, widening and sidewalks on city-owned streets.
Seventy-five percent of the funds are allocated based on an annual population estimation, while the remaining 25 percent is based on the number of city-owned street miles in each municipality.
The allotments are:
*Eureka: population, 237; 1.26 city-owned street miles; Powell Bill, $4,730.84; Highway Trust Fund, $2,693.43; total $7,424.27.
*Fremont: population, 1,412; 11.29 city-owned street miles; Powell Bill, $32,283.80; Highway Trust Fund, $18,380.29; total $50,664.09.
*Goldsboro: population, 37,341; 162.33 city-owned street miles; Powell Aid, $706,169.56; Highway Trust Fund, $402,046.85; total $1,108,216.41
*Mount Olive: population, 4,587; 26.66 city-owned street miles; Powell Bill, $94,025.55; Highway Trust Fund, $53,532.01; total $147,557.56
*Pikeville: population, 703; 5.48 city-owned street miles; Powell Bill, $15,920.55; Highway Trust Fund, $9,064.12; total $24,984.67.
*Seven Springs: population, 87; 1.45 city-owned street miles; Powell Bill, $2,806.38; Highway Trust Fund, $1,597.77; total $4,404.15.
Legislation passed last year allows municipalities to use Powell Bill funds to help pay for projects included in the state's seven-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
The funds, which come from revenues generated by the state gas tax and other highway user fees, are dispersed annually using a formula set by the N.C. General Assembly.
The Powell Bill Fund is named for Junius K. Powell, former state senator and mayor of Whiteville, whose name headed a list of legislators sponsoring 1951 legislation to help the state's cities with urban road problems. The first allocation of Powell Bill funds was in 1951 for $4.5 million and was distributed to 386 of the state's cities and towns.