Update April 2010. For a more detailed review of this issue see the following article: Addressing Climate Change Locally: North Carolina Local Government Financing Programs for Private Energy Efficiency Projects. Local governments across the country are becoming increasingly involved in … Read more

May a local government or public authority that provides utility or public enterprise services disclose its customer billing information in each of the following scenarios?  (a)  A customer’s relative wants to know if the customer is delinquent on his utility payments; … Read more

Many local government officials, reticent to increase their unit’s property tax or other tax rates, look to alternative revenue sources to support general government services and activities. One potential source of revenue is that generated from the fees and charges … Read more

UPDATE August 2013: For more recent information on this topic, click here. True or False — State law prohibits a local government or public authority from assessing surcharges on customers who remit payment of taxes, assessments, or fees by credit … Read more

UPDATE August 2013: For more recent information on this topic click here. Jill Moore recently blogged about the applicability of the federal Red Flag Rules to local health departments and the appropriate responses by those departments to prevent or mitigate … Read more

UPDATE August 2013: For more recent information on this topic, click here. Last week, I summarized the new electronic notice and public comment requirements on the imposition of, or increase in, certain fees and charges assessed by local governments, and … Read more

UPDATE August 2013: For more recent information on this topic, click here. Effective September 1, 2009, the General Assembly enacted new electronic notice and public comment requirements with respect to the imposition of, or increase in, certain fees and charges … Read more

UPDATE August 2013: For more detailed information about special assessment authority in North Carolina, click here. Note also that the General Assembly extended the sunset on the new special assessment authority to July 1, 2015. It also made a few … Read more

UPDATE August 2013: Note that the legislature recently codified the clarifications to the fact-finder’s role under G.S. 115C-431 discussed below. Click here for a summary of the new provisions. On August 28, 2009, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued Beaufort … Read more

The General Assembly enacted Medicaid funding reform legislation in 2007. The cornerstone of the legislation was the state assuming the counties’ Medicaid costs, but it contained several other provisions that impact counties, municipalities, and local school administrative units—including the repeal … Read more