As noted in a previous post, the General Assembly recently enacted S.L. 2011-199 (HB 380), which, effective October 1, 2011, amends the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure (NCRCP) to address issues related to e-discovery in North Carolina state courts. … Read more
The “digital age” has been upon us for many years, but the legal system continues to struggle to keep pace with the fundamental transformation it has caused in the way people communicate and generate and store information. The discovery of … Read more
UPDATE September 2013: During the 2013 legislative session, the General Assembly modified the distribution of Powell Bill funds to municipalities. See S.L. 2013-183. For which of the following projects may Powell Bill funds be expended? 1. The Village of Pothole … Read more
Recently, the General Assembly enacted S.L. 2011-164 (SB 8) to remove the 100-school cap on the total number of charter schools that could be authorized in the State. Before its enactment, SB 8 went through a number of iterations. Several … Read more
A county’s board of commissioners (BOC) has the power and responsibility to “develop() and direct() the fiscal policy of the county government.” G.S. 153A-101. The board adopts the annual county budget ordinance, as well as capital project ordinances, and has … Read more
One of the more controversial “local government” issues addressed by the North Carolina General Assembly this year is the proper role of municipal governments in providing cable and Internet services. This issue is not new. Several bills relating to municipal … Read more
After a contentious and stressful budget season, Carolina County’s governing board adopts its annual budget ordinance on June 13, 2011. The budget reflects tough decisions by the board about how to allocate limited resources among competing priorities. However, because the … Read more
Quick Quiz: Which of the following constitutes an installment finance agreement under North Carolina law? 1. The Village of BlueSky purchases a fire truck for $350,000. To pay for the truck, the town enters into a financing agreement with a local … Read more
The General Assembly recently enacted S.L. 2011-72, which authorizes certain municipalities to establish one or more municipal service districts to fund costs related to the conversion of private residential streets to public streets, subject to several prerequisites and restrictions. The … Read more
As I detailed in a previous post, North Carolina counties are authorized to establish two different types of special tax districts to fund fire services in both their unincorporated and incorporated areas (subject to certain conditions and procedural requirements, of … Read more