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CountyLines: August 2010
Volume 36, No. 8

Make it a goal to be part of goals process

Development of legislative goals package begins with proposals
County commissioners can relate to state legislators, who are constantly bombarded by various groups with their own specific interests. In most instances those advocates represent a very specific segment of the population – this can make it hard for legislators to support their cause. This is not the case for the NCACC, and that is due in part to the Association's legislative goals process.

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It's busy-ness as usual in Pitt County

Host county for Association's 103rd Annual Conference also celebrating 250th anniversary
To say the staff of Pitt County Government has been pulling its weight in 2010 is a bit of an understatement. Staff has not only been working hard to ensure the Association's 103rd Annual Conference plays out without a hitch, but they also seeing through a number of events that recognize and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the county's creation.

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An eventful and blessed two years

When you become an elected official, you know that at some point, your term in office will end. If we are blessed, we get to end it on our own terms. Sometimes, the voters say otherwise. As I look back on my two years serving as NCACC president and president elect, blessed is the word that keeps coming to mind. I am blessed to have served for such a wonderful organization and to have represented the 100 counties in our great state. The NCACC is the only organization that can truly say it represents all the citizens of North Carolina, and our wonderfully diverse membership reflects that.

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A shining moment from a difficult session

The passage of a long-standing county legislative goal officially came to fruition July 23 when Governor Beverly Perdue signed H1691 (Use of 911 Funds) into law.

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Robeson voters OK quarter-cent sales tax

Make that 17 counties that have received voter approval to levy the additional quarter-cent sales tax. More than 69 percent of Robeson County voters said "yes" to the measure during a special referendum on Aug. 3, extending the string of successful referendums to seven dating back to March 2.

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Creating jobs is 'job one' in economic recovery

Top economist for President Clinton, 9/11 survivor share stories at NACo Annual Conference; Robeson's Woods elected to national board
Joe Dittmar, a survivor of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, has an important lesson for government officials – life is about choices, and what may seem at the time like a simple decision could have major ramifications.

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Fiscal analysis dashboard a new resource for counties

A new Web-based dashboard on County and Municipal Fiscal Analysis is now available to help any local government in North Carolina analyze its current financial condition. In preparation for using this new tool, the School of Government is offering a series of one-day training sessions at six locations across North Carolina.

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NCACC names new director of Risk Management Pools

The Association will welcome its new Risk Management Director, Marcus Beverly, on Aug. 16. Also on that day, Sharon Scudder will transition to general counsel for the Risk Management Pools.

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Hayes relies on county JCPC partners

DJJDP secretary lauds county officials' efforts to help educate legislators on importance of state funding In late July, NCACC staff met with Linda Hayes, who in January 2009 was appointed secretary for the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJDP). Hayes previously served 15 years as chair of the Governor's Crime Commission, where she also chaired the Commission's Juvenile Justice Planning Committee.

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Managing Your Risk
Forecasting future liability isn't weird science

Reliability and consistency of several years of loss history is key to making accurate projections and budgeting for right amount of coverage
Drawing upon my July column, "Identify exposures at outset of risk management initiative," once your county identifies the risks and exposures facing its operations, it is necessary to analyze the results of that initial discovery phase. Two major risk management evaluation category types are "qualitative" and "quantitative" analysis.

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NCACC wellness grants can provide a wealth of health benefits

The NCACC's Risk Management Pools are for the third consecutive year offering wellness grants to members. The grants can significantly increase a county's or a county entity's wellness budget and thereby help promote a healthier lifestyle among employees.

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More from this month's CountyLines:
$18.4M fund provides new resources for farmers
Debt setoff workshops scheduled for September
Briefs and shorts