With pollution plaguing the Neuse River, the N.C. Environmental Management Commission has adopted, in concept, strategies to regulate nonpoint source and point source pollution.
In a victory for municipalities, the court ruled in Homebuilders of Charlotte Inc. vs. City of Charlotte that cities and towns act within their authority when charging reasonable fees to help recoup the costs of regulatory services.
The N.C. League of Municipalities represents members' interests in dealing with state and federal lawmakers and regulatory agencies. It also provides services, including research consulting; publications, like SOUTHERN CITY; and legal assistance.
In 1997, the state recruited over 800 businesses that invested up to $50 million each. They created about 60,000 jobs. However, the inability to offer competitive business incentives and tax abatements makes recruiting larger companies hard.
The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled in 1996 in the case of Maready v. City of Winston-Salem that the use of public funds by cities and counties to attract businesses is not unconstitutional.
The N.C. League of Municipalities, along with the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, is working to assure that fiscal notes (estimates of compliance costs) accompany state regulations so that local governments can fund and implement such regulations.
At a special panel assembled before the N.C. Senate, several mayors and county commissioners called for a balanced approach to the state's crime problem, seeking preventive programs as well as punitive measures.
A survey of city and town officials suggests that economic conditions in Tar Heel cities and towns have either stayed the same or improved in the last year. Most officials feel that property tax rates will not be raised for the coming year.
Christensen pays tribute to Albert Coates, who died January 28, 1989. Coates was the founder of the Institute of Government of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the institute's director for over thirty-seven years.
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources' new enforcement policies for wastewater overflows include reporting releases immediately and giving regional offices more authority. Policies become effective July 1, 1998.
The North Carolina General Assembly is considering recommendations from the North Carolina Government Performance Audit Committee on ways to make state services more efficient and less costly.
The North Carolina League of Municipalities recently concluded a stormwater runoff permitting program that joined hundreds of local governments in a group application for the EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater runoff permits
Although the state's intangibles tax was repealed in 1995, a recent ruling of its unconstitutionality by the U.S. Supreme Court could prove costly to the state, with refunds reaching $120 million.