NCACC President Elect addresses ABC study committee

NCACC President Elect Joe Bryan, a Wake County commissioner, brought the county perspective March 24 to a new General Assembly study committee that is examining the state's alcoholic beverage control system and discussing ways to reform it.

Wake County Commissioner and NCACC President Elect Joe Bryan offered support for a handful of recommendations to the Joint Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverage Control. (Photo by Jason King)

Bryan addressed the Joint Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverage Control, comprised of legislators and a cross-section of public members representing various perspectives. Hertford County Commissioner Howard Hunter III is a member of the committee.

The NCACC opposes changes to the system proposed in 2009 legislation due to the usurpation of local control. Governor Beverly Perdue in January said she is considering privatizing the ABC system, something the NCACC also opposes due to the potential loss of local revenues.

"The system we have now is not broken," Bryan told the committee. "This state has one of the highest ABC revenue streams in the nation and at the same time one of the lowest consumption rates – a position many states envy.

"Our goal is not about power, but is about accountability and flow of information. We also support granting more tools for accountability and direction to the state's ABC Commission to provide salary schedule data to all appointing authorities and local ABC boards."

Bryan told committee members that the Association is prepared to support legislative recommendations related to:

• increasing reporting requirements to appointing authorities. Reports would include all information related to finances, personnel, sales and salaries. Some ABC boards are already doing this.
• mandating that all local ABC boards submit annual salary data to the state ABC Commission and that the state ABC Commission be required to annually distribute that data (including benefits and bonus information) to all local ABC boards and local appointing authorities. This would in effect create a statewide salary schedule, and would allow local ABC boards to compare themselves to like-sized ABC systems by providing comparative data for systems of all sizes.
• requiring that local ABC boards adopt an ethics policy consistent with their appointing authority. The General Assembly in 2009 adopted a local government ethics act, recognizing that local governments have unique situations and needs that are not consistent with those of state government. Requiring local ABC boards to adopt ethics policies consistent with the local appointing authority would better reflect the makeup of that particular community.

"The Association believes that action on these three items would enhance the accountability of our local appointing authorities and would make strides to address the isolated incidents that exist in our state's ABC system," Bryan said.

Committee members also heard from Jon Williams, chairman of the state's ABC Commission. Williams presented several recommended options for reform, including consolidation of boards on a county-wide or regional basis.

Among comments made during the meeting:

• Sen. Dan Clodfelter (Mecklenburg County) insinuated that the ABC Commission could be extended the same financial power over local ABC boards that the Local Government Commission has over county and municipal governments. "If it's good enough for cities and counties, why isn't it good enough for ABC boards?" he asked.
• Andy Ellen, who lobbies for the Retail Merchants Association, spoke in favor of privatization and offered to hold local governments harmless from any potential loss of revenues.

For background on the ABC system, click here. For information on the legislative committee, click here.

– Jason King and Kevin Leonard