Board prepares goals package for January conference

By Todd McGee
Director of Communications

Also see:
2005 Legislative Goals Conference information

More is not always better. As the Legislative Goals Committee studied extensively throughout the fall all the complicated and critical issues facing counties, three needs – Medicaid relief, alternative revenue options for counties, and a statewide bond issue to help build more schools – dominated the conversation. As a result, the committee recommended a streamlined package of goals to the Board of Directors on Dec. 8.

“Every two years we enter into this cumbersome process,” said NCACC General Counsel Jim Blackburn, who leads the Association’s Legislative Goals effort. “It is not unusual for us to have anywhere from 100 to 150 proposals.

“This year, the committee did something that it’s never done before. Unlike past years where we generally end up with a stack of goals from about 40 to 50, what this committee did this year was to reduce it down to three goals. What you have before you are three priority goals, and then about 50 supplemental goals or positions.”

Medicaid relief has long been the Association’s No. 1 goal, and Blackburn said that was still apparent this year as the committee waded through the proposals it received. Ten counties submitted goals pursuing various forms of Medicaid relief.

The county share of Medicaid is expected to surpass $440 million this fiscal year. This burden is keeping many counties from meeting other infrastructure needs – like schools and public safety.

The other two priority goals are a menu of revenue options for counties, some of which are already being used by a few counties, and a state bond referendum to help counties keep up with the demand for new schools brought about by the state’s rapid population growth.

“The unanimous consensus of the group was to pick three goals, and you only got to choose two, because everybody knew that Medicaid relief would be one of the three,” Blackburn said. “Those are three goals that are of paramount importance. There is no question that those three issues – the Medicaid proposal, the school bond proposal and the proposal for alternative revenues – were way above anything else that we even considered.”

Blackburn also said that he believed the Association had built significant momentum in recent years in its quest for Medicaid relief culminating with a mid-November appearance by Association President Breeden Blackwell and several other commissioners and managers in front of the General Assembly’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Medicaid Reform.

“I think this is the time for Medicaid relief,” Blackburn said. “What form it takes, we don’t know yet. But we will keep talking about that throughout the session.”

Even though the Legislative Goals Committee recommended that the Association focus its lobbying efforts on just three goals, the Association will still work on the other positions as opportunities arise.

“Most of those supplemental goals are things that will come from other sources, things that we can get behind,” said Blackburn. “You will see things on there that will come from other groups, like some of the economic development proposals, but these are things we can lend our support to ... or oppose, depending upon the issue.”

After hearing Blackburn’s proposal, the Board of Directors quickly adopted the package as it was presented to them, with one addition. The Board asked staff to add another position statement showing support for increased funding from the state for community colleges after hearing a lengthy plea from Fayetteville Technical Community College President Larry Norris.

“Staying focused on three issues will enhance our lobbying efforts,” said Joe Strickland, an Avery County commissioner and past co-chair of the Legislative Goals Committee.

The package of goals and positions were mailed to all commissioners after the Board meeting to give commissioners an opportunity to study them in advance of the Legislative Goals Conference, which will be held Jan. 13-14 at the Radisson Hotel High Point in Guilford County. At that conference, counties will formally vote on goals and positions. In addition, individual boards of county commissioners will have the chance to introduce new goals for consideration.

The conference will begin Jan. 13 with a non-voting discussion period from 10:30 a.m. - noon. The intent of this session is to allow county officials to ask questions and learn more about the goals and positions before they are asked to vote. This session is particularly useful for new commissioners or others who have not previously experienced the Legislative Goals Conference.

It is during this discussion period that county delegates can submit goals that are not included in the proposed Legislative Goals package. These new goals must be submitted in writing to the presiding officer or either of the committee co-chairs (Dare County Chairman Stan White or Buncombe County Chairman Nathan Ramsey) no later than 1 p.m. on Jan. 13. The person(s) offering the goals will be asked to attend a meeting of the Goals Screening Committee from 4:45 - 6 p.m. to advocate for their proposed goal to be placed before the voting delegates.

The Screening Committee is comprised of the Association’s president, the seven steering committee chairs and the two Legislative Goals Committee co-chairs. This body will decide if any of these goals will be forwarded to the membership to be voted upon at the conference or referred to the appropriate steering committee for further study.

Commissioners and other staff should already have received a registration packet for the conference. The registration fee is $90, and the deadline to pre-register is Jan. 7. After that, all parties wishing to attend must register on-site.

The Radisson has reserved a block of rooms at a discounted rate for attendees. The deadline to be guaranteed a room in the hotel at the discounted rate is Dec. 27. Please contact the hotel at (336) 889-8888 or toll free at (800) 333-3333 to make your room reservations.

Click here for additional information or a registration form.