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.
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.”
2025-2026 Legislative Goals
As approved at the 2024 Legislative Goals Conference.
Top Priority Goals
- Support legislation promoting teacher and classified school personnel recruitment and retention, including state funding for increased salaries.
- Seek legislation to repeal NCGS 105-275(45), which mandates that counties must exclude 80 percent (80%) of the appraised value of a solar energy electric system from property taxation. If repeal of NCGS 105-275(45) is not feasible, then seek legislation to require the State of North Carolina to provide funding to any county that is forced to lose tax revenue due to NCGS 105-275(45) in an amount equal to the lost tax revenue to said county.
- Seek legislation to provide increased recurring state funding in keeping with comparable sales for farmland preservation initiatives and additional flexibility to counties related to farmland preservation.
- Seek legislation expanding state funding to provide essential medical, mental health, substance use disorder and social services to persons incarcerated in local detention
facilities. - Seek governmental funding to assist counties that have limited resources with construction of critical facilities.
- County Advocacy Goals
Agriculture
- [Top Legislative Priority Goal] Seek legislation to provide increased recurring state funding in keeping with comparable sales for farmland preservation initiatives and additional flexibility to counties related to farmland preservation.
- Seek legislation amending G.S. 106-740 to provide for an adequate time to hold a public hearing, and to investigate and develop recommendations on proposed acquisitions of qualifying farmland within a voluntary agricultural district.
Environment
- Seek legislation to provide additional resources for preventative storm damage maintenance and disaster mitigation in all 100 counties.
- Support legislation for clean water funds and hold companies that have manufactured emerging and other contaminants such as coal ash, PFOA, PFOS and other PFAS chemicals financially liable for cleanup and mitigation efforts.
- Seek additional resources and legislation to repair, govern, and maintain distressed water and sewer systems and to expand access to water and sewer for unserved residents.
- Support state funding to research and combat invasive species.
General Government
- Seek legislation, funding and other efforts to expand digital infrastructure broadband capability to the unserved and underserved areas and residents of the state.
- [Top Legislative Priority Goal] Seek governmental funding to assist counties that have limited resources with construction of critical facilities.
- Seek legislation to authorize the electronic publication on the websites of the boards of county commissioners of public notices and advertisements that are ordinarily required to be published in the newspaper or posted on private property.
- Support legislation to increase the number of state-funded county Veteran Services Officers to at least one per county.
- Seek statutory flexibilities, funding and other resources to ensure continuity of county services and a robust recovery for counties impacted by Hurricane Helene and any other natural disasters.
- Seek legislation to provide recurring funding to state affordable housing programs, such as the Workforce Housing Loan program.
Health and Human Services
- Seek additional resources and state leadership for adult protective services, senior services and foster care.
- Seek legislation to increase resources for behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities services and facilities, including dedicated resources for treatment of substance use disorders; care for individuals in county jails; inpatient crisis beds; and community paramedicine projects.
- Seek legislation that promotes opioid and other substance use prevention, intervention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery initiatives.
- Seek additional state resources for early childhood education, childcare services and pre-K programs.
- Seek legislation to increase recurring state funding to local health departments for foundational/essential public health services.
- Support legislation that restores state funding for accreditation for local health departments and to the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health for training activities required for accreditation.
- Support legislation requiring Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to disclose pricing, rebate arrangements and reimbursement practices to ensure fairness and accountability.
- Seek legislation to cover all costs associated with the School Nurse Funding Initiative.
- Seek state resources to fund dedicated physical spaces and necessary staffing to serve foster children held in county custody.
Justice and Public Safety
- [Top Legislative Priority Goal] Seek legislation expanding state funding to provide essential medical, mental health, substance use disorder and social services to persons incarcerated in local detention facilities.
- Seek legislation to increase the amount paid to county jails by the state to the full cost reimbursement for housing sentenced inmates.
- Seek increased state funding to fully support drug treatment courts and other specialty courts.
Public Education
- Support school calendar policy that promotes optimal student outcomes and best meets the needs of local communities.
- Support legislation that promotes education attainment and career and college readiness by increasing funding to expand apprenticeship and internship programs, trade certification and workforce development programs, as well as increased student support services in public schools with a focus on dropout prevention and an increase in the dropout age.
- Seek legislation and funding to expand registered apprenticeship tuition waivers to an applicant’s 25th birthday to align with the opportunity youth demographic.
- Seek additional revenue sources to address statewide public school and community college capital needs and ensure methods used to distribute school capital funding considers the needs of both low-wealth and growing counties.
- Support legislation modernizing public school funding models in a changing school funding landscape to provide all public school students with an excellent education, including investments to assist communities in eliminating achievement disparities.
- Support increased funding to provide counties an equal opportunity to implement school security measures.
- [Top Legislative Priority Goal] Support legislation promoting teacher and classified school personnel recruitment and retention, including state funding for increased salaries.
Tax and Finance
- Seek legislation to give counties flexibility with use of occupancy taxes.
- [Top Legislative Priority Goal] Seek legislation to repeal NCGS 105-275(45), which mandates that counties must exclude 80 percent (80%) of the appraised value of a solar energy electric system from property taxation. If repeal of NCGS 105-275(45) is not feasible, then seek legislation to require the State of North Carolina to provide funding to any county that is forced to lose tax revenue due to NCGS 105-275(45) in an amount equal to the lost tax revenue to said county.
- Seek legislation that allows for equitable application of the homestead exemption for all 100 counties.
- Seek legislation to preserve existing local revenue by providing just compensation to counties for property acquired by the state and removed from the ad valorem tax base.
- Seek legislation allowing counties to levy the Article 43 and Article 46 sales taxes for any legal purpose and optionally to include specific language on the sales tax referendum ballot indicating how the proposed tax proceeds will be spent.
- Seek legislation to replace the existing sales tax refund for local governments and nonprofit entities with a sales tax exemption.
- Seek revisions to NCGS 105-187.19(b) so that the Scrap Tire Disposal Tax currently credited to the State General Fund are instead credited to the Scrap Tire Disposal Account.
- Federal Legislative Goals
- Support funding for behavioral health programs and services to address the opioid and substance use epidemic and support flexibility for counties to use funds for prevention and recovery.
- Support measures to reduce the number of people with mental illness in county jails and legislation that would allow individuals in custody to continue receiving Medicaid and other federal health benefits until they are convicted, sentenced and incarcerated.
- Oppose unfunded mandates and changes in eligibility for federal programs that shift costs to counties.
- Seek federal legislation to increase Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments for counties.
- Seek legislation, funding and other efforts to expand digital infrastructure and broadband capability to the unserved and underserved areas and residents in North Carolina and provide affordable high-speed internet services to all residents including low-income customers.
- Support increased funding for disaster preparation, assistance and mitigation; legislation or policy changes that expedite and expand county use of federal disaster assistance funds; legislation or policy changes to streamline and expedite the FEMA individual assistance process; and legislation to review and update flood maps more frequently in counties experiencing high rates of population growth and counties prone to flooding.
- Support efforts to promote food system resiliency, such as ways to strengthen North Carolina’s food system and increase access to affordable, healthy food options.
- Support additional flexibility and an extension in the deadline for spending American Rescue Plan (ARP) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF).
- Support strong regulation and enforcement along with necessary funding or reimbursement to state and local governments when a federal agency, such as the EPA regulates emerging contaminants and other discharges into drinking water sources.
2024 Legislative Goals Handbook
This handbook is intended to offer the reader an overview and guidance about the rules and processes used to develop the legislative agenda of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. Information is presented in a format that tracks the chronological course of action for the goals adoption process.
Legislative Goals Flowchart
The Legislative Goals Flowchart visually outlines the process written in the Legislative Goals Handbook.
Goals Development Process
Every two years, in the months preceding a long session of the General Assembly, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners engages in a process to determine the legislative goals it should pursue in the best interest of the counties. The process is thorough, deliberative, and time intensive. It is designed to allow for input from as many county commissioners, county officials, and stakeholders as possible. By maximizing participation from so many of the organization’s members, it is possible to reach agreement on goals that are important to all members of this diverse organization.
The process begins with counties submitting their legislative goal proposals, which are voted on by county boards and affirmed through a resolution from the county Board Chair. Goals submissions are received from May through early September.
After the goals submission deadline, all eligible goal submissions are referred to the appropriate NCACC Steering Committee with jurisdiction over the issue. The Steering Committees review the referred goals and provide recommendations to the Legislative Goals Committee. The Legislative Goals Committee considers each goal and determines which goals will be forwarded to the NCACC Board of Directors for consideration.
The NCACC Board of Directors considers and approves a package of recommended goals, making any necessary technical corrections. The Board advances the goals package for consideration by all 100 counties at a culminating event – NCACC’s Legislative Goals Conference. Each member county appoints a voting delegate to participate in the conference to vote on goals and rank them in priority order.
On even numbered years, the NCACC Legislative Goals Conference is held around November, and the NCACC legislative agenda is finalized. See the 2025-2026 Legislative Goals Package below!
Federal Goals
NCACC developed a similar process for counties to submit federal goals, which guide advocacy outreach to members of U.S. Congress, including members of North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation and other federal partners. Federal goals also support NCACC members with their involvement in the National Association of Counties (NACo). Submitting federal goal proposals is a great way to complement state goals, longstanding goals, guiding principles, and demonstrate support for the NCACC Presidential Initiative.
Legislative Reporting
The NCACC reports on policy and newsworthy issues, legislative activity, events, and educational opportunities for counties through a variety of platforms. NCACC’s primary products for legislative reporting are the NCACC Weekly Update, State Budget Reports, and the Legislative Session Final Report.
The NCACC Weekly Update
The NCACC Weekly Update is a digital newsletter published every Friday, which includes a summary of the Association’s work, upcoming events, advocacy updates, partner resources, county news, NCACC updates and county job postings.
State Budget Reports
Each fiscal biennium, NCACC policy staff produce reporting documents that track the development and execution of North Carolina’s state budget. NCACC reports on county priorities contained in the Governor’s proposed budget recommendations for the North Carolina General Assembly, spending proposals considered by the North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate, and the final state budget, ratified by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor.
Legislative Session Final Report
After the North Carolina General Assembly concludes a legislative session, NCACC policy staff produce a final report on the status of legislation affecting goals, enacted legislation, and other bills of interest to counties.