Oct 11, 2007-  If voters approve the .4 percent land transfer tax on Election Day, a portion of tax proceeds would fund the county's ailing roads. The tax would be imposed on all transfers of real property within the county, including within town jurisdictions and paid for by the property's seller.
House Bill 1399 allows counties to construct road projects currently on North Carolina Department of Transportation's Transportation Improvement Plan. A similar bill passed in the N.C. Senate permits counties to construct or improve roads on the state highway system. Both bills stipulate that counties enter an agreement with NCDOT before proceeding with road projects.
NCDOT Division 3 Engineer Allen Pope said the two bills are "breaking new ground" for road construction and improvement projects in the county. "There are not a lot of procedures worked out," Pope said.
Pope said county representatives and NCDOT officials have begun initial conversations to determine what projects would be a priority. Pope said the county has two avenues to move forward with road construction or improvement projects. By Caroline Curran