PSA reports progress on Mount Airy connection; funding earmark submitted to General Assembly

Carroll County Public Service Authority staff reported progress on efforts to connect local lines to Mount Airy and said a funding shortfall has prompted a legislative earmark request.

Staff said Richard Krause has worked with Bill Stanley and Will Moorfield to seek an earmark in the General Assembly to cover additional funds needed to run the line; staff characterized those patrons as carrying the bill at the state level. Much of the construction will be coordinated with the North Carolina Department of Transportation because planned work ties to a welcome center and truck parking project on the highway corridor; DOT has been described as the lead for much of the necessary construction.

Staff said the earmark would address the proportion of funds the DOT would otherwise need for the project. The authority did not take a formal vote on funding at the meeting; staff reported the earmark effort as the authority’s current best opportunity to close the funding gap and move the project forward.