In 1993, Hendersonville elected a new town government that is addressing hard issues, such as annexation, congestion, infrastructure improvements, and long-range planning.
Businesses move for a number of reasons: consolidation, bankruptcy, better offers. Some cities coping with recent losses are Greenville (Glaxo Wellcome) and Tarboro (Black and Decker).
Southport, a town that prides itself on public service and close community relations, depends mostly on tourists and retirees to boost its economy. While prospect of a new movie studio offers growth, it could also affect the community's lifestyle.
Neotraditional communities, or communities with houses, condos, shops, schools, and offices patterned like old-fashioned neighborhoods, are developing in reaction to the isolation of suburban sprawl. Chapel Hill's Southern Village is the state's first.
Summer parks and recreation programs offer young people across the state a variety of activities, including adventure, clown, and drama camps; music and art camps; and sports camps.
The exodus of businesses from downtown to shopping malls can be debilitating. The National League of Cities Downtown America program shows cities how to rebuild downtown areas. Monroe is one of the eleven pioneer participants.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 raises a number of issues for municipalities, including regulation of public rights-of-way, zoning for cellular towers, and taxing authority.
Hurricane Bertha, which struck the eastern part of the state in July, 1996, left her mark on a number of towns, including Emerald Isle, New Bern, Southport, Beaufort, and Wrightsville Beach.