Exciting news in the world of legislative reporting—the Daily Bulletin is going exclusively online! Since 1935, the School (a/k/a the Institute) of Government’s Legislative Reporting Service has been creating the Daily Bulletin, which includes summaries of every filed bill, amendment, … Read more

If you are looking for a last-minute holiday gift for someone at this time of year, you may want to forego purchasing your friend or relative a gift card at the local video sweepstakes operation (VSO). That gift card may … Read more

Cash economic development incentives are widely used by local governments to induce companies to locate in their jurisdictions. A 2006 survey indicated that more than 40% of North Carolina local governments employ cash incentives for business recruitment. And yet, no … Read more

There is reason to believe that an employee of the city has broken into a pharmacy to steal prescription drugs.  There are reports that a public school teacher has touched female students in a terribly inappropriate way.  It appears that … Read more

UPDATE FEBRUARY 2013: The accreditation rules were amended to change the method by which the Accreditation Board determines whether a department has satisfied the required benchmarks. See 10A N.C.A.C. 48B .0103. This change had been proposed when this post was originally … Read more

Local governments, like many other organizations, place cameras in strategic locations to monitor activities that take place on their property or in public places. Security cameras are used for various purposes, including to apprehend and deter criminal behavior by employees … Read more

Several years ago the Town Council approved The Green as a 400 acre development with phases to include apartments, townhouses, and large single-family homes, as well as modest retail and office fronting the major thoroughfare. After a couple of good … Read more

A contemporary zoning ordinance can be a complicated proposition.  A small town or rural county’s ordinance often runs over 100 pages.  Some of the zoning ordinances in our larger cities approach (and if a few instances pass) 1,000 pages.  All … Read more

UPDATE August 2013: The Court of Appeals reaffirmed this new interpretation in May 2013. Click here for more details. In July 2008, the Jones County Department of Social Services (JCDSS) entered into an oral services contract with a medical transportation … Read more

This guy is a bad employee.  His work is poor.  His conduct around other people is objectionable.  You (that is, the city or the county or other public employer) would be better off without him. You could just fire him.  … Read more