Title
Vote on a request to identify legislative goals to submit to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) for consideration at the Legislative Goals Conference in November 2022.
Abstract
The NCACC requests counties submit their top legislative goals for 2023-2024 by September 12, 2022.
The Board of Commissioners discussed possible goals at its August 24, 2022 meeting.
The Board proposed the following priority goals:
Chatham County Priority Goal #1: (NCACC 2021-2022 Priority Goal #1) Seek legislation, funding, and other efforts to expand digital infrastructure/broadband capability to the unserved and under-served areas and residents of the state
Chatham County Priority Goal #2: (NCACC 2021-2022 Priority Goal #2) Seek additional revenue sources, including a statewide bond referendum and expanded lottery proceeds, and changes to the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, to equitably address statewide public school and community college capital challenges. Revisions to the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund that will allow more equitable access to counties to take advantage of the funds include:
• Allowing Needs-Based Public School Capital Funds to be used for renovations and improvements in addition to new construction
• Reducing or eliminating local match requirements for Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties
• Eliminate the five-year prohibition of receiving funds from the Public School Building Capital Fund if a county receives a grant from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund by repealing G.S. 115C-546.2(f)
Chatham County Priority Goal #3: Oppose legislation imposing state control over local governments:
a. Support legislation allowing counties flexibility in holding remote board meetings, allowing contemporaneous, virtual public hearings, in order to expeditiously conduct county business during emergencies (NCACC 2021-2022 General Government Goal #9)
b. Oppose efforts to divert to the state, fees or taxes currently allocated to the counties or to erode existing county revenue streams with unfunded mandates (NCACC 2021-2022 Priority Goal #5)
c. Seek legislation that will allow the North Carolina Sedimentation Control Commission an option to delegate portions of its authority under the Sedimentation and Pollution Control Act to local County programs for all private, State and Federal projects, at the request of the county (NCACC 2021-2022 Environment Goal #7)
d. Seek legislation to restore county authority over solid waste management and oppose any further shift of authority away from local governments (NCACC 2021-2022 Environment Goal #2)
e. Support efforts to provide greater flexibility to local governments in expenditure of 911 surcharge funds and ensure adequate funding for next-gen technology (NCACC 2021-2022 Justice and Public Safety Goal #1)
f. Support efforts to preserve and expand the existing local revenue base of counties and authorize local option revenue sources already given to any other jurisdiction to all counties (NCACC 2021-2022 Tax and Finance Goal #1)
Chatham County Priority Goal # 4: Support legislation increasing the inventory and availability of affordable housing:
a. Support the introduction and enactment of a state low-income housing tax credit to assist with the construction of housing affordable to people of all income level (NCACC 2021-2022 Tax and Finance Goal #4)
b. Develop legislation that provides local government authority to facilitate the creation, preservation, and support of affordable housing within development agreements as defined in G.S. 160D-1001 and G.S. 160D-1006
Chatham County Priority Goal #5: Amend state sales tax legislation to require accurate county assignment of sales tax location for delivered goods so that the correct county is identified and receives the revenue it deserves
Chatham County Priority Goal #6: Increase the recurring state funding for the Home & Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) by $8 million, as recommended by the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature, and maintain integrity of funding source to support local decision-making