(See the update at the end of this post.) House Bill 99, sponsored by Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake), introduces an essential reform to how county commissioners would be elected in…
Multimember districts for the North Carolina General Assembly were once common but were struck down over how they diluted minority voting strength. Multimember districts disconnect representatives from their constituents. Multimember…
Last week, eight counties across North Carolina voted on whether to raise sales taxes by a quarter-cent. According to a story written by Kari Travis in Carolina Journal: Voters in…
In Tuesday’s primary election Rockingham County citizens approved a 1/4-cent sales tax hike. The referendum passed with 55 percent of the vote. The new revenue –in theory–will fund a $15…
Here’s a report from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners with a lot of sad statistics. What bothers me most is the high reported incomes and the amount of…
• We send our condolences to the family and loved ones of state Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt. The Buncombe County Democrat, who had served in the General Assembly since…
View in your browser. Some counties want to gain from the burst housing bubble In good times, counties are eager to revalue property more often in order to increase tax…
Carolina Journal’s David Bass reports today on what happens when you make a public records request for local government salaries. CJ’s request to multiple local governments generated fascinating comments from…
The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners is advising county commissioners to oppose proposed cuts to the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust that would decrease the ability of the…
The Watauga Democrat published a synopsis of items on the legislative agenda for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
Earlier this year, Orange County commissioners approved using up to $40,000 in public funds to “educate” citizens on why a sales tax hike is good for them. The quarter-cent hike…
That quote comes from Ellis Hankins of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, who commented for my recent Carolina Journal story about S3194, Sen. Harry Reid’s bill that would force…