CountyLines: December 2009
Volume 35, No. 12

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Counties slashed spending for 09-10

NCACC survey shows schools, personnel and capital projects bear brunt of budget rollbacks
Counties carved out nearly $350 million in budgeted expenditures for 2009-10 and set county spending back to 2007-08 levels, according to the Association's annual budget and tax survey. All told, 88 counties reported a decrease in their adopted 2009-10 budgets compared with budgets from the previous fiscal year. The widespread decreases are unprecedented in the NCACC's 20 years of tracking county budget trends.

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• 2009-10 budget and tax survey (XLS)

Youths need interaction with local governments

As elected officials, we have a responsibility to make our communities a better place to live for future residents. We also have a responsibility to help develop and inspire the next generation of leaders to whom we will pass the baton and who will guide our communities once our terms are finished. My presidential initiative for 2009-10 is to bring attention to issues that impact our youth and to highlight ways that counties can help foster positive attitudes about local government amongst our young adults.

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Wayne mourns death of Atlas Price, 2005 Outstanding Commissioner

Former Commissioner Atlas Price Jr., who was active in the NCACC and NACo during his five terms on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, died Dec. 1 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 79. In 2005, Price was awarded the NCACC's Outstanding County Commissioner award for his tireless work on behalf of all of North Carolina's 100 counties.

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NCACC issues call for entries in Outstanding County Program Awards contest

Approved by the NCACC Board of Directors in 1991, the Outstanding County Program Awards (OCPA) competition is designed to recognize the outstanding work being done by counties across the state, and also to share these ideas and innovations with other counties. The NCACC is now accepting entries for the 2009 awards competition through Feb. 26.

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Further review for tax reform

Tax reform discussions draw attention of NCACC committee
Members of the NCACC Tax and Finance Steering Committee engaged in a serious give-and-take regarding North Carolina's economy and underlying tax structure during their Nov. 17 meeting. Afterward, members visited the Legislative Office Building to hear discussions from a meeting of the Interim Joint Finance Committee on Tax Reform. NCACC President Elect and Wake County Commissioner Joe Bryan, who chairs the NCACC steering committee, briefly addressed the joint legislative committee.

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Good news for counties on budget litigation

The NCACC Public Education Steering Committee heard a recap of the 2009 session of the General Assembly and discussed budget cuts in education as well as other legislative issues during its Nov. 18 meeting in Raleigh.

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Water regulation a fluid, yet sticky matter

Budgeting and permitting of state's water resources needed, expert says, but opposition will make for tough passage in General Assembly
North Carolina may not currently have a permitting system in place to address major consumers of water but that could change in the coming years, a School of Government professor told members of the NCACC Agriculture Steering Committee during their Nov. 20 meeting in Raleigh.

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State mental health cuts trickling down to locals

It came as no surprise that the Nov. 19 meeting of the NCACC Human Services Steering Committee largely centered on mental health reform and the state's efforts to right a derailed system.

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Commissioners receive kudos for efforts on JCPC funding

The efforts of county commissioners helped stave off cuts to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils, said Teresa Price, deputy secretary for Community Programs at the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJDP). Price spoke to members of the NCACC Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee on Nov. 17.

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Managing Your Risk, by Michael Kelly
Driver beware: Auto insurance isn't automatic

Don't assume your county auto insurance policy includes individual coverage for employees driving county-owned vehicles off the clock
Does your county automobile use policy let employees take county-owned vehicles home at the end of the workday? As the risk manager, how do you access and address the liability exposure of having employees driving county vehicles both on and off the job? What advice can you give your staff that helps put them in the best position should an accident occur that may not qualify as being "within the scope" of their regular employment duties?

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Pools give updates on claims transition, initiatives during regional meetings

Representatives from 62 counties attended the six NCACC Risk Management regional meetings held in November. Risk management staff presented and led discussions on several initiatives, including return to work programs, wellness initiatives, risk control services and training, and the Pools' newest service enhancement project, bringing property and casualty claims administration services in-house.

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Wood knows ins and outs of State Auditor's Office

Longtime employee closely monitors stimulus funds, reviews county requests for bond sales as member of Local Government Commission
As one of its initiatives, the NCACC strategic goals team charged with "enhancing the state-county relationship through effective communication and the development of a working partnership" is interviewing members of Governor Beverly Perdue's Cabinet and Council of State. In late October, Meeting Coordinator Penny Cummings and Underwriter Willie Allen sat down with Beth Wood, who in November 2008 became the first woman elected to the position of State Auditor in North Carolina.

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9 counties change tiers in 2010 economic development rankings

Alexander and McDowell counties have been designated as two of the state's 40 most economically distressed counties for 2010. The new county tier designations, released by the N.C. Department of Commerce on Nov. 30, determine a variety of state funding opportunities to assist in economic development.

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More from this month's CountyLines:
Briefs & shorts
Staff notes