&dquo;These JobsNOW recovery projects will help create and sustain jobs and provide needed economic development and mobility in counties throughout North Carolina,&dquo; said Perdue. &dquo;Not only will they put people to work, they will take people to work.&dquo;

Polk County Transportation Authority Director Jewell Carswell says the funding, which requires no match, is certainly welcomed at this time. The state provides 90 percent of the county&squo;s transportation authority funding for capital but nothing for maintenance. Carswell says obtaining two new vans and maintenance money is much needed for next year&squo;s budget.

The county transportation authority has a total of 13 vans. Carswell says the purchases of the new vans will probably be possible after the bidding process sometime in the fall.