UPDATE August 2013: In 2011, a new exception was enacted to limit access to local government email subscriber lists. Click here for a summary of this exception. Local governments work hard to engage and inform their citizens. Technology now provides … Read more

In this blog post, I mentioned that a local government could obtain a “local act” exempting a privately funded projected from the otherwise applicable bidding requirements. This post is designed for people who may not be familiar with local acts. It … Read more

Times are tough and money is tight. Public officials and private developers, trying to imagine new and creative ways to finance and construct needed infrastructure, might suggest a new approach: A private developer will front the money to build a … Read more

Government agencies are increasingly recognizing the need to communicate with their constituents and to promote citizen participation in government programs and issues. Government web sites have become standard fare, providing information and mostly one-way communication from the government to the … Read more

Local governments often create committees to carry out a wide variety of functions on behalf of their communities. Who has authority to create committees? What is their status under the open meetings law? Under what rules should they operate? What … Read more

The governing board of a small town believes that it would be advantageous to hire the mayor as a part-time town administrator. Is this legal? In some cases, it is. There are two main legal prohibitions that would generally bar … Read more

Compared with many other states, North Carolina has created a very limited role for mayors. Our state laws leave many decisions about the management and operation of municipalities to the governing board, or, in jurisdictions operating in a council-manager form … Read more

Elected officials and others are usually surprised to learn that there is no general law that prohibits board members from disclosing information obtained in a closed session. Disclosure of specific types of information is prohibited by separate statutes that make … Read more

In my last blog I said I would address the question of whether, after members-elect take office, the new board can undo things the “lame duck” board has done. This discussion includes the concept of “binding future boards,” although in … Read more

The elections are over, but there’s still some time before new members will be sworn in. Questions arise about what the roles and rights are of both the outgoing “lame duck” members, and the members-elect. Is it legal, and if … Read more