Highway Enhancements Through Local Partnerships

The Highway Enhancements Through Local Partnerships (HELP) program is a funding mechanism in the state of Mississippi that allows the state to finance roadbuilding and road improvement projects by borrowing money from the counties in which the the work will take place. If the affected county agrees to participate in the program, it sells bonds to establish the neceaasry funds for the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to finance construction on the premise that MDOT will reimburse the county with interest once federal highway funds for the project are received, ensuring the county's bonds are paid off without having to raise local taxes. The HELP program enables Mississippi to advance the construction of highway projects that would otherwise have to wait for federal funding.