A unanimous three-judge panel of the N.C. Court of Appeals has upheld a trial court’s ruling in two separate cases against New Hanover County and the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in a dispute over water-and-sewer impact fees. The appellate judges ruled that the impact fees were “ultra vires,” or beyond the government agencies’ legal power or authority.
by Mitch Kokai
Senior Political Analyst, John Locke Foundation