In August 2011, the City of HighTech contracted with an external SaaS (software as a service) provider to host its e-mail system. The basic parameters of the contract require the SaaS provider to furnish e-mail service to all city employees … Read more

A North Carolina county board of elections, which has three members, is scheduled to meet with representatives of the State Board of Elections in Raleigh. May they legally travel together in one car to the meeting? Three members of a … Read more

County Departments of Social Services are responsible for administering public assistance programs, such as Medicaid, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or the “Program-Formerly-Known-As-Food-Stamps”). Department directors and staff members play an active role … Read more

Regulating video gaming and gambling of one sort or another has vexed state and local governments in North Carolina for the better part of two decades. A recent court opinion held the current version of the state’s ban on internet … Read more

The city council is about to take action on a proposed rezoning of property. The rezoning will enable undeveloped land to be used for an office and retail business park. Suppose that the council has before it a planning staff … Read more

It’s pop quiz time!  Is the following statement true or false? No one can buy real property in North Carolina without first paying all of the property taxes owed on the property. Answer: False. Well, not entirely false.  But not … Read more

Here is a question that came to me from a North Carolina public employer not too long ago.  An employee regularly includes “Put Your Faith in the Lord” as part of his closing on emails, whether the emails are to … Read more