WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) – Marathon County board members added a powerful tool to their economic development toolbox Tuesday when they declared the county an “economic recovery zone.”

The move will allow the county to tap into more than $19 million in low-interest bonds to help qualified businesses expand and pay for public infrastructure projects.

It’s unclear if the county will take advantage of the bonds or how they’ll use them. The government will stop issuing the bonds January 1, 2011.

County leaders were able to tap into the funds because local unemployment was higher than the state and national averages earlier this spring.