Living in Polk County

UTILITIES

Water Supply

Columbus: 828-894-8236. Source is intake on Horse Creek and well near Industrial Park. Maximum Daily Capacity is 230,000 GPD. Peak load is 155,000 GPD. Storage is 500,000 gallons in one ground storage tank. Well can produce 150,000 GPD.

Saluda: 828-749-2581. Source is 8" main supplying water from the City of Hendersonville.

Tryon: 828-859-6655. Sources are Big Fall Creek, Impoundment, Colt Creek, Dark Corner Creek, Fork Creek, Little Fall Creek and Lake Lanier. Maximum Daily Capacity is 2,000,000 GPD. Tryon has state-of-the-art water plant completed in August, 1988. Average peak load is 800,000 GPD. There are 1,250,000 gallons in elevated and ground storage.

Natural Gas

1-877-776-2427. Public Service Company of North Carolina, Inc.

Electric Power

Duke Power Company 828-894-5938. (Columbus, Saluda, Tryon, Mill Spring area: Rutherford Electric Membership Cooperative 1-800-521-0920 (northeastern portion of County); Broad River Electric Membership Cooperative 864-582-8247 (southeastern tip of County).

Telephone Service

Alltel Carolina, Inc. 828-859-9115 (Tryon, Columbus and Central Polk County); Southern Bell Telephone Company 780-2355 (northern third of County); TDS Telecom 828-749-9090 (Saluda area). Please note that additional providers may exist.

HIGHWAYS

Polk County is served by over 425 miles of primary and secondary highways. Interstate 26 traverses the County, intersecting with U.S. Highway 74 near Columbus. Additionally, Interstate 26 intersects with Interstate 85 southward at Spartanburg, South Carolina and Interstate 40 northward at Asheville, North Carolina. Interstate 26 intersects with interstate 95 between Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina.

U.S. Highway 176 and Interstate 26 provide access to the Hendersonville, Asheville and Spartanburg areas. Highway 74 provides access to Rutherfordton, Shelby and points eastward.

North Carolina Highways 108 and 9 cross in Mill Spring, near the center of Polk County.

AIR TRANSPORTATION

The nearest commercial airport is the Asheville Regional Airport at Fletcher, 23 miles from Columbus. The Greenville-Spartanburg Jetport, located at Greer, S.C., is 33 miles from Columbus. A private airport, Fairview, is located 8 miles south of Columbus and has a 3000 ft. paved runway with lighting.

DRIVING IN POLK COUNTY

Driver’s License Office: Every Monday through Friday, Polk Country residents may apply for licenses in Hendersonville (828-692-6915) or Forest City (828-248-1121). A special mobile DMV unit visits Polk County each week on Thursday from 9-5. It is located in the parking lot at the rear of the Sheriffs Department on Ward St. in Columbus. Proof of insurance, a valid driver´s license (renewals only), photo identification and a social security card are required. For additional information, call one of the DMV offices listed above.

License plates may be renewed via the internet at www.dmv.dot.nc.us.

REGISTERING TO VOTE

It is suggested that people moving to our area register immediately so they may vote in local elections, and must register at least 30 days before an election. NC residents may register to vote when applying for a driver’s license. The Board of Elections is located at the Womack Building, 101 Courthouse Street in Columbus.

LIBRARIES

Lanier Library, one of the few private facilities in the State, provides the County with many resources. The members are treated to some fine programs. Contact: 828-859-9535.

The Polk County Public Library, located at 204 Walker Street in Columbus maintains a collection of over 34,109 book and serial volumes, 817 audio and 516 video titles. In addition to fiction and nonfiction, the library includes the following collections: periodicals, reference, business, genealogy and a special North Carolina collection. A children’s collection is housed in the children’s room, where storyhour and Summer Reading Club programs are held. An active Friends of the Library provide adult programs and fundraising activities. A Bookmobile provides supplemental outreach services .Two patron internet-access terminals are available for use onsite and a new Senior Resource Center opened in 1998.

RECREATION

With the waterfalls, mountains and rolling hills of the piedmont, recreation is almost unlimited. Polk County has luxurious golf courses, horse farms, fishing, boating and mountain biking to name just a few outdoor activities. There are also major national events: the Block House Steeplechase, held by the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club in April for over 50 consecutive years and the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival, site of the NC State Barbecue Championship Cookoff, which draws cooking teams, judges and culinary professionals from all over the country each June. The Sherlock Holmes Festival in November is also a popular event.

Tryon Theatre was built in 1939 as a combination movie and vaudeville theatre. To this day it houses the original projectors. It is open four nights a week plus a Sunday matinee, providing first-run movies for the county. Foreign and art films are shown every other Monday and Tuesday nights. The community-minded owner also periodically hosts local performers and nonprofit events on the theatre’s large stage. One of Polk County’s most notable cultural resources is the Tryon Fine Arts Center, built in 1969 entirely with private donations. The Center offers an opportunity for understanding and appreciating the visual and performing arts and crafts through sponsoring local, national and international performances and exhibits. The Meeting Place, offering citizens over age 60 a warm and friendly setting for fellowship, good meals, and varied recreation, is a popular spot for our seniors. FENCE: Foothills Equestrian Nature Center, Inc. offers horse shows, bird walks, nature walks and wildflower walks. Many classes are available at this unique facility located on over 250 acres of rolling pastures, forests and foothills. Tryon Youth Center provides an outlet for the younger citizens of Polk County. Hiking, canoeing and dances are among their activities. Polk County recreation offers baseball, basketball, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, karate and girl’s softball for youth. Adults can participate in aerobics, swimming, karate and men’s basketball.

NORTH CAROLINA TAXES

State Income Tax is based on Federal Taxable Income with modifications of certain deductions and exemptions. Tax rates start at 6% of taxable income and range to a maximum of 7.7%. The state sales tax rate is 6.5%. All income from North Carolina Municipal Bonds and unit trusts is Federal, State and Intangibles tax free. The Intangibles Tax was recently repealed. Polk County property tax rate is based upon approximately 0.5433 cents per $100 value.

VOLUNTEERISM

Polk County offers many types of volunteer services and opportunities for those wishing to serve. Over 100 clubs and organizations are active in Polk County, providing many resources to the community. Contact the Polk County Chamber of Commerce at 828-859-6236 for information.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES

Polk County has St. Luke’s Hospital, a 74-bed private, nonprofit, acute care hospital providing 24-hour-a-day physician coverage. The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Excellent health and wellness programs are conducted at St. Lukes and the wooded, exercise path located directly behind the hospital is a popular place for community “walkers.” Polk Mental Health offers skilled services and counseling as well as supportive services. Polk Social Services offers in-home services and administers other supportive services.

POLK COUNTY COMMUNITY RESOURCE COUNCIL

The Polk County Community Resource Council meets to improve communication, identify local problems, and community resources. Membership is open to any organization or agency serving county residents. Meetings are held the second (or fourth) Tuesdays. Officers are elected each spring. For information, call Ag Extension, 828-894-8218, or Polk County Schools, 828-894-3051.