Litigation is the process of resolving legal disputes through the court system. Litigation can be complex, burdensome, expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. A single lawsuit can take years to resolve and cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. But … Read more

The 2024 HIPAA Final Rule is (mostly) dead. If you read my most recent post, you know that we have been waiting to see if the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was going to permit the cities of Columbus, Ohio … Read more

Imagine the following public construction projects: A municipality is undertaking improvements in its downtown business corridor to expand the width of roadways and sidewalks, which will require several downtown businesses to relocate permanently. A housing authority plans to renovate existing … Read more

When most people hear the title finance officer, they picture someone working on spreadsheets, paying bills, or preparing financial statements. While those tasks are part of the job, the role of a finance officer in North Carolina local government goes much … Read more

Since the COVID state of emergency expired, local governments have consistently wondered about remote meetings. The Court of Appeals evaluated an aspect of remote meetings in State of North Carolina ex rel. Cannon v. Anson County. Then, in March of 2025, the … Read more

Many local governments in North Carolina own and manage water and wastewater utilities as public enterprises. These services are costly to keep running, and smaller systems often have difficulty setting rates that generate enough revenue to cover both operating expenses … Read more

A new state law (Session Law 2025-16) enacted this summer will soon require all counties and cities in North Carolina to subject all applicants for positions that require working with children in any way to criminal history record checks conducted … Read more

9/16/2025: Please see this blog post for an update on this public health law topic. In June 2024, changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule aimed at supporting reproductive health care privacy went into effect. I wrote about these changes in … Read more

In the fall of 2023, Matthew Creech won the mayoral race in Lucama, North Carolina as a write-in candidate. Immediately after new-mayor Creech took office, the town council (called the “board of commissioners”) unanimously adopted a resolution “establishing the powers … Read more

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has a long history of supporting disaster recovery activities. Most recently, the agency made $1.45 billion available through its 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program (DSGP) to assist communities impacted by federally declared disasters in … Read more

The following post is authored by SOG faculty member Sara DePasquale. This is my second post discussing S.L. 2025-16, the Fostering Care in NC Act. The various sections of this significant 32-page session law have different effective dates. Some sections became … Read more

I am excited to share a new resource for governing boards of local public health agencies in North Carolina! Local Boards of Health in North Carolina provides local board of health members with the information that they need to understand … Read more

My colleague Kirsten Leloudis and I are pleased to announce the publication of Consolidated Human Services Boards in North Carolina, a new book now available from the School of Government. Since the enactment of Session Law 2012-126 thirteen years ago, … Read more

This is the third and final blog post in a series discussing how President Trump’s Executive Orders (EOs) impact employment discrimination law at the local level. The first post focused on EOs ordering the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion … Read more

The Town of Tamperville, NC disconnects a customer’s water service for nonpayment. Two weeks later, a staff member reviewing usage data notices something unusual. Water is being used at the property, even though service has not been restored. A technician … Read more

The law surrounding property tax exemption applications, already confusing, was made even murkier under a bill recently signed by the governor.  Session Law 2025-20 (HB91) allows for retroactive exemption applications, but only for the religious exemption and only for the … Read more

Beginning December 1, 2025, a new North Carolina law will provide enhanced protections for employees, agents, and contractors who work for utility and communications providers—including those employed by local governments and public authorities. Under an amendment to G.S. 14-33(b), a … Read more

In North Carolina, each county department of social services (DSS) is responsible for receiving and evaluating reports of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation of disabled adults. See G.S. 108A-102 and –103. These reports and the evaluations that follow them often … Read more

Session Law 2025-16 (HB 612) was signed into law on June 26, 2025. It makes numerous changes related to child welfare, many of which are discussed by my colleague Sara DePasquale in this blog post. Section 1.17.(b) of the new … Read more

When a state transportation project requires the relocation of water or sewer lines, the cost of moving that infrastructure often falls on the local government that owns it. These expenses, known as nonbetterment costs, can be significant, especially for smaller … Read more