The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is a non-partisan organization that serves as the official voice of all 100 counties on issues considered by the General Assembly, Congress, and federal and state agencies. The Association provides advocacy expertise to counties and employs a team of registered lobbyists, who advocate on behalf of counties’ interests before dozens of administrative, legislative and rule-making committees both during and in between legislative sessions.
State and Federal News
- News as of July 10, 2026
States Begin Opportunity Zones 2.0 Nominations
On July 1, 2026, states began the process of nominating eligible census tracts for designation under the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Opportunity Zones 2.0, the permanent successor to the original federal Opportunity Zone program. The updated program features new Opportunity Zone designations every 10 years, a rolling five-year capital gains tax deferral for qualifying investments, and enhanced incentives for rural communities. The newly designated Opportunity Zones will take effect on January 1, 2027. An overview of the program can be found here. A comparison of OZ 1.0 and OZ 2.0 and frequently asked questions can be found here.
OMB Releases Proposed Rewrite of Federal Rules Under 2 CFR Part 200
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has published a proposed rule rewriting 2 CFR Part 200 — the Uniform Guidance — the largest overhaul of federal grant rules since 2013. This rule governs every federal grant your county receives, covering public safety, transportation, housing, public health, emergency management, and more. The public comment period closes July 13, 2026. To assist counties, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has developed an online resource hub and comprehensive analysis.
What Your County Should Do Now
- County attorneys: Review the proposed rule, particularly the new discretionary grant termination authority, expanded pass-through entity obligations, new event services requirements, and the reclassification of 2 CFR Subtitle A from policy guidance to binding federal regulation.
- County officials: Use NACo’s template comment letter to submit formal comments, personalized with your county’s specific grant programs and local examples of how the proposed changes could affect service delivery and budgets.
- Submit comments by July 13. Every county comment on the record strengthens NACo’s advocacy and ensures local government realities shape the final rule.
Register for the Rural Road Safety Webinar
The National Center for Rural Road Safety and the National Local Technical Assistance Program Association (NLTAPA) Safety Work Group are co-hosting a webinar entitled “#RRSAW2026: The Rural Modes Part 2” as part of the 2026 Rural Road Safety Awareness Week on Friday, July 17 at 1:00 p.m. Information and registration can be found here.
FEMA Issues BRIC Program Advisory Ahead of July 23 Application Deadline
FEMA released an advisory regarding the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program to mark one month before the July 23, 2026, application deadline. The advisory includes significant resources, including links to two webinar sessions for applicants and subapplicants applying for a BRIC grant. These sessions cover eligibility requirements and application guidance. The advisory can be found here.
Webinar to Review Key U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
The Local Government Legal Center (LGLC) will host a discussion of the U.S. Supreme Court’s significant decisions from the current term affecting local governments on Monday, July 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Legal experts will examine key rulings and their implications for local governments. Registration can be found here.
Webinar to Explore Attainable Housing Solutions
The National League of Cities and the National Association of Home Builders are hosting a webinar on Monday, July 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. to explore effective, nonpartisan approaches to advancing attainable housing in communities across the country. Participants will gain practical language and strategies to help local leaders build consensus and advocate for housing solutions that work. Information and registration can be found here.
Webinar Highlights Food Waste Prevention Project
The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) posted a YouTube video of an informational webinar covering its National Household Wasted Food Prevention Project (NHWFPP), including the NHWFPP Community Grants process. The program will focus on changing specific habits to prevent wasted food in households. Grants will go to programs that build on a national media campaign to change behavior locally. View the video here.
Must-Have Resource for Wildfire Planners
In anticipation of the summer wildfire season, the U.S. Fire Administration has published a National Wildfire Evacuation Planning Guidance: A Must-Have Resource for Wildfire Planners. This new document provides an adaptable framework to guide agencies at all jurisdictional levels — federal, state, local, tribal and territorial — in developing and implementing effective evacuation plans, including a wildfire evacuation plan template. Information and a link to the guidance can be found here.
NACo Launches Youth Justice Resource Hub to Support Counties
The National Association of Counties (NACo) has developed a Youth Justice Resource Hub, serving as a centralized platform to provide a variety of resources, including case studies, peer-reviewed research, reports, toolkits, and other publications, to support county officials and juvenile justice practitioners in strengthening local youth justice systems and improving outcomes for youth. Learn more here.
Close accordion
County Advocacy Hub
Legislative Goals
Every two years, in the months preceding the long session of the North Carolina General Assembly, NCACC begins a grassroots process to develop our Association’s legislative goals, which guide NCACC’s work as a statewide organization. The process is designed to maximize participation by counties, build consensus among counties, and achieve a unified message on county priorities. Click here to view the current NCACC Legislative Goals. Click here to view the 2025 Legislative Goals Status Updates booklet, created by the NCACC Advocacy and Policy Team.
NCACC’s advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels of government are guided by legislative goals as decided by our members. NCACC legislative goals are developed through a multi-phase process, which offers county commissioners, county officials and stakeholders several opportunities to provide input and shape priorities. These goals define the most pressing and important issues our members face and reflect the collective will of all 100 counties.
The importance of participating in the legislative goals process cannot be overstated. When policymakers hear the same message from all 100 counties throughout our diverse state, the voice of each individual county becomes amplified. Counties are stronger together and our common purpose is enshrined in NCACC history and our vision statement, which states: “Empowering 100 counties to work together for the betterment of one state.”
Legislative Goals & Reporting
Steering Committees
NCACC’s Steering Committees assist the Board of Directors in setting policy for the Association in the areas of Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, General Government, Health and Human Services, Justice and Public Safety, Public Education, and Tax and Finance. Steering Committee membership is open to all county commissioners, as well as county staff who specialize in committee-related fields.