Sheriffs’ concerns, annexation draw NCACC committee attention

The NCACC’s Justice and Public Safety and Intergovernmental Relations steering committees met in January. Reports from each meeting follow:

Justice and Public Safety

Cabarrus County Sheriff Brad Riley, president of the N.C. Sheriffs’ Association, addressed steering committee members Jan. 10.

Of chief concern to the Sheriffs’ Association is jail overcrowding. Riley also discussed the federal grant programs available through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to help with identifying and deporting illegal immigrants; the efforts of many N.C. counties to explore cultural differences that will help officials understand the alleged criminal behavior of Latino populations; cyber-crimes; sex offender registry; and the specter of collective bargaining in anticipated legislation that is known as the “Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights.”

Riley also addressed growing problems in many counties – mentally ill in prisons, and the need to distinguish between those who need long-term stabilization and management and those who may be substance abusers.

The committee asked to hold a joint meeting with the Human Services Steering Committee to study the complex intersection of the criminal justice and mental health systems.

Intergovernmental Relations

The committee met Jan. 23 with one thing in mind: annexation. Various committee members voiced their concerns about current annexation law and its unfairness to counties.

Assistant General Counsel Paul Meyer addressed a report of the Joint City/County Annexation Committee, which made its recommendations in 1996. According to Meyer, the General Assembly passed most of the recommendations in 1998, but very few specifics relating to the county’s role in annexation were ever placed into law.

Committee members resolved to develop a list of major areas in current law where clarifications or changes are needed in the interest of fairness to counties. Some of these suggestions included increasing the requirements for what stipulates an urbanized area, tightening the requirements and time limits for city service provision, ensuring that schools are compensated for any lost sales tax revenue due to the annexation, and ensuring that counties are compensated in some way for debt on existing utilities that are taken up under a new annexation.

Committee Chair Bill Kopp (New Hanover) appointed a subcommittee to study possible amendments to the current law and begin discussions with the League of Municipalities on where annexation should be headed.