Bryant a 'Friend of the Counties'

While the 911 victory during the 2010 short session may not have the long-term impact of the Medicaid swap, it is still a significant win for counties – especially during the ongoing budget issues being faced by all counties. As a result, Rep. Angela Bryant, who spearheaded the effort to get the legislation passed, was recognized with the 2010 Friend of the Counties Award during the NCACC's 103rd Annual Conference in Pitt County.

• Click here for more information.
• Click here for more Annual Conference coverage.

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.

• Click here for more information.
• Click here for more on the process or to download the proposal form.
• Session ends with 911 win
• State budget: Analysis | County-by-county lottery estimates (PDF)

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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911 bill becomes law

Governor Beverly Perdue on July 23 signed H1691 (Use of 911 Funds). The new law is the result of years of work and accomplishes a longtime NCACC legislative goal.

• Click here for photos from the bill signing ceremony.
• Click here for a summary of what the new law allows, plus a recap of the legislative short session.
• Local officials thank governor, General Assembly for ABC system reform legislation

We're on Facebook, finally

The latest way county officials can keep track of NCACC news, events and issues of interest in the General Assembly is Facebook. If you are a member of Facebook, visit our page and click on the "Like" button in order to receive NCACC updates in your news feed.

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Counties hit fund balances to balance budgets

It was not an easy budget season for counties, and the numbers from the Association's annual survey of county property tax rates reflect that. Of the 100 counties, 76 maintained the same property tax rate from 2009-10, 13 raised property taxes, two decreased rates, and nine went through property revaluation. Of the nine counties that revalued their property, three counties adopted a rate that was below the revenue neutral rate, two counties adopted the revenue neutral rate and three counties adopted rates higher than the revenue neutral rate.

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Medicaid relief made simple

A year-by-year look at how the phaseout impacts counties
A new day dawned in North Carolina on Oct. 1. That was the first day that counties began to reap the benefits of the recently enacted state plan to phase out the county Medicaid share. The multi-faceted plan accomplishes what has been counties’ No. 1 legislative goal for many years – the removal of the onerous requirement that counties foot 15 percent of the state’s Medicaid services bill. The plan’s working parts are such that some county officials may be confused over exactly how the Medicaid relief plan will play out. Here, then, is a year-by-year look at the three-year phase down.

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• 2008-09 Medicaid cost estimates (XLS)
• Gone for good: Counties achieve three priority goals
• Medicaid relief by the numbers (XLS)
• Components of Medicaid relief plan (PDF)

Legislative committee and commission schedules

Due to the sheer number of legislative committees and commissions, the Association cannot provide a comprehensive and updated listing of these events. County officials are encouraged to review the list of standing and interim committees and submit a request for e-mail notification of selected meetings via the N.C. General Assembly's Web site.

• Click here for more information.
• Click here for 2011 legislative session deadlines and important dates.

NCACC Legislative Goals:

Links of interest

• NCACC policy statements
• Legislative bulletins
• N.C. General Assembly
• N.C. House members
• N.C. Senate members
• THOMAS, U.S. Library of Congress
• U.S. House of Representatives
• U.S. Senate
• Guide to Open Meetings and Records Laws (PDF)