The county’s most recent approval is expected to match $432,692 from the state and $3 million from the federal government, meaning almost $4 million has been added to the projects, said the assistant county manager, Dave Weaver, during the announcement at the New Hanover County Board of Commissioner’s meeting on Monday.

Before the available federal dollars were announced, the towns of Carolina and Kure beach were looking down the barrel at underfunded projects that would have been reduced in scale. Even though Carolina and Kure beach renourishment projects are still underfunded, the announcement of an additional federal, state and local commitment brings them closer to completion.

Rick Catlin, chairman of the county’s Port, Waterways and Beach Commission said, "They’re still not going to be completely, 100 percent renourished, but it’s a lot better than it was previously."

With the additional $4 million in the pot, the projects’ total funding has exceeded $12 million, Weaver said.

Funding issues have plagued the renourishment projects from their outset, due mostly to budgetary lags in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Earlier this year, when the requests for renourishment funding began, the county fronted the state’s first share of $2.8 million in addition to its own share of more than $933,000, hoping that when the state passed its budget, the General Assembly would issue a refund which is still pending, but expected, officials said.

Renourishment funding is divided by a cost-sharing formula that requires a combination of federal and state/local dollars. In the past, North Carolina has funded 75 percent of the state/local share, and the remaining 25 percent has been funded by the county.

But recently, officials said, local governments were advised that the state’s commitment would be reduced to 50 percent, thus increasing the local share from 25 to 50 percent.

The county funds its portion with room occupancy tax revenues.

For this new round of funding, the state general assembly has yet to approve its $432,692 portion, raising yet another wave of fears that the county may have to front a check for the state.

In a vote Monday night, the county signaled that it would fund the state’s portion in case North Carolina is late on meeting the Army Corps’ construction or bidding schedule.

Addressing the board, Catlin reassured county commissioners that he had been in contact with state officials, and he is confident the funding will be issued in time to meet the Army Corps’ schedule.

"The state has a very good partner on these things," Weaver said. "When they make a commitment, they follow through."

Bidding will start on Oct. 27. Project work is scheduled to begin in early 2010.