Elected officials in more than 20 North Carolina counties will ask voters next month to approve tax hikes. Some want higher sales tax rates. Others want to boost the real-estate transfer tax.

But Michael Sanera explains in the next edition of Carolina Journal Radio that most of these county commissioners could avoid tax increases by setting better priorities with the money already available to them.

Speaking of government spending, Joe Coletti reacts to recent discussions about funding the state?s long-term transportation needs. On the tax front, Lindalyn Kakadelis and others will discuss the potential benefits of education tax credits.

We?ll also hear comments from a recent public hearing on forced annexation. That?s also one of the topics in the latest installment of Locker Room Talk, which also features Chad Adams discussing Raleigh?s recent decision to rescind its ban on new garbage disposals.