Lawmakers continue working on the new state budget. 

State House Majority Leader John Bell of Wayne County appeared on Jeff Farrow’s Morning Show on Goldsboro’s Greatest Hits 1150 and 98.3 last week. 

Rep. Bell says the new budget looks at flood mitigation, and he says every dollar spent upfront will save up to $8 in future flooding expenses.

Bell says, at this time, the N.C. House and Senate are working on a $300 million flood mitigation package, which is a first for the state.

Rep. Bell says the state is looking at a nearly $7 billion budget surplus thanks to moves made over the last ten years. 

He says the state is trying to leverage federal funds — including C.A.R.E.S. Act and American Rescue Plan dollars — and get it to the right places for things like broadband improvements, water and sewer, and infrastructure.