Hamlet and Charlotte have been named All-America Cities by the National Civic League. The award was first given in 1949 and honors cities best exemplifying civic excellence.
Several strategies, including drug courts that expedite prosecution of drug dealers, boot camps for first offenders, and an aggressive parole tracking system, are or will be used to combat the state's crime problem.
The North Carolina League of Municipalities surveyed cities and towns to learn the extent of local smoking ordinances. Of 520 surveyed, 390 responded, and of those, 244 (62.6%) do not have a smoking ordinance.
Although the 1992 Cable Act gave local governments increased authority to regulate cable operators, many have found this new responsibility burdensome. When cable rates failed to fall as anticipated, consumer anger was directed toward local government.
A new water quality management plan will divide the state into seventeen major river basins with an integrated, basinwide approach to replace previous piecemeal efforts. This plan calls for cooperation among local governments and the state.
Local governments would face an increase in the number of employees and dependents for which they would be required to pay premiums under the Clinton Health Security Plan.
Compliance with waste reduction goals (set by SB 111 in 1989), private court challenges that erode local control, and concerns about long-term liability have combined to make garbage disposal a complex issue for local governments.
Privatization, or competitive bidding (where city departments bid against private companies to provide a service), is relatively new to North Carolina. Charlotte is in the midst of privatizing some services, and other cities are considering the idea.
North Carolina is saving its taxpayers millions of dollars by implementing innovative governing strategies, from the use of award-winning technologies to a trend-setting blueprint for running an entire city.
The successful consolidations of tax collection, planning, and inspection departments leads Durham city and county officials to believe that a total merger of city and county operations is possible.
The Greensboro Police Department has begun printing trading cards with the pictures of officers and police dogs in an effort to foster a positive relationship with young citizens.
Sit-In Movement Incorporated is slated to open a $5.7 million civil rights museum at the site of the 1960 sit-in at a Greensboro Woolworth's lunch counter.
Municipal Insurance Trust participants and North Carolina Interlocal Risk Management Agency participants are being offered financial incentives to create employee assistance programs, which offer confidential, short-term employee counseling services.
A spirit of volunteerism is permeating North Carolina communities, as citizens acknowledge the importance of their roles in bettering their communities.