County Advocacy Hub

Weekly Update Legislative Brief

  • November / December 2023

    The General Assembly will return for the legislative short session in April. Legislators may return to address emerging issues. NCACC will share legislative developments of interest to counties as needed.


End of Session Report

The North Carolina General Assembly adjourned on October 25, 2023, to convene one day a month until April 24, 2024, capping off the long session of this biennium. The Association has released its final end of session report that outlines the major legislative happenings, the details of the state budget, and major developments with impact to counties during the long session. The full report is available here.


Budget Reports

Overview of 2023-24 State Budget and Impact to Counties

Following a summer long negotiation between the House and the Senate, a budget deal has been struck. The General Assembly plans to spend $29.8 billion in FY 2023-24 and $30.9 billion in FY 2024-25. With considerable shortages of teachers and state workers, this budget has prioritized salary adjustments by giving most state employees a 7% pay raise across the biennium. Teachers will also receive an average pay raise of 7% in that same time period, while starting teaching pay will increase by 11% to $41,000 in FY 24-25. Additionally, this budget agreement grows the Rainy-Day fund balance by $125 million for a total of just under $5 billion and cuts taxes by $1.2 billion over the next two years. The budget also invests billions of dollars in capital and infrastructure projects, including water infrastructure and K-12 public school capital infrastructure, throughout the state. The budget includes more than 2,000 special provisions, and NCACC urges counties to search the budget document for their counties and municipalities. Once enacted, counties can search for direct grants at www.osbm.nc.gov/directed-grants-database

In addition to making financial investment in county priorities, the budget also makes various policy changes impacting counties, including the modification of a General Assembly commission to expand the commission’s oversight of, and ability to investigate, local governments and local officials (Section 27.10); and gives the Secretary of DHHS broad authority when realigning LME-MCOs (Section 9G.7a.)  

To read the full NCACC report on the state budget, click here.


2023-2024 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 our advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels of government. The process is designed to maximize participation by counties, build consensus among counties, and achieve a unified message on county priorities. View the 2023-2024 Legislative Goals.

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.”

Advocacy Briefs

Increase Access to Broadband
Enhance the State Capital Investment in North Carolina’s Public Schools
Grow North Carolina’s Statewide Economy Through State Investments and Coordinated Efforts with County Economic Development Services
Ensure Clean Water Access Across the State
The North Carolina Solar Industry is Arbitrarily Excluded from Paying the Fully Assessed Property Tax due to Local Government
Enhance Counties’ Ability to House Sentenced Inmates in County Jails
Exploration of a State-Level Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program

Video Library

How to Find Your Legislator

How to Find and Track a Bill

How to Read a Bill

NCACC County Lines Video Series

NCACC Policy Team

*Registered lobbyists