UPDATE September 2013:  Legislation adopted by the 2013 General Assembly extends state law preemption to existing outdoor advertising signs that conform to state rules and local ordinances.  Section 8(b) of S.L. 2013 – 413 adds a new G.S. 136-131.2 to … Read more

This session, legislators have introduced bills (House Bill 87, Senate Bill 67) proposing to amend the North Carolina Constitution to create a right of access to public records, and to require that all meetings of public bodies be open. The law … Read more

A company’s sole facility has been located in North Carolina for the past decade, but the company recently decided to move its facility to a new location in order to expand its operations. It has three choices: (1) move to an available facility in the … Read more

At long last Malcolm Tucker had found a spot to locate his nightclub. After several failed attempts to locate his club in town, he decided to move out to the county. He found a vacant lot a couple of miles … Read more

Counties and municipalities in North Carolina are not required to furnish (or fund) fire protection services for their citizens, but many local governments provide, or contract for the provision of, these services within their units. And, typically that fire protection … Read more

Pop quiz time: The General Assembly can unincorporate a city in North Carolina by local act, with or without a vote of the citizens of the city. True or False? The answer is “true.” Faculty members here at the School … Read more

UPDATE February 2017:  Six years after the posting of the discussion below and just three years before the next 10-year census, several lawsuits challenging the redistricting of North Carolina’s legislative and Congressional districts remain in active litigation.  The pattern has … Read more

One of the legal world’s most well known principles is, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”  In light of two recent decisions by the state Property Tax Commission, this centuries-old maxim may need to be amended to read, “unless … Read more

Your school system is bidding out a $1.2 million school construction project. Because the total cost of the project will exceed the formal bidding threshold for construction and repair ($500,000), you’ve advertised for formal bids. The bids are due tomorrow … Read more

UPDATED: June 22, 2011. The court withdrew the opinion analyzed below on June 17, 2011. See National Day Laborer Organizing Network v. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (S.D.N.Y. June 17, 2011). Although the opinion no longer has any precedential value, … Read more

One of these days the developer of a proposed new energy-efficient open-space development (Greenfields) will come calling on the city. It will propose that the city satellite annex the Greenfields property, located almost a mile outside of town. Greenfields will … Read more

Imagine that a local newspaper has requested the following information from a public agency: “A list of all disciplinary actions taken by the agency during the calendar year 2010 against any and all persons employed by the agency, including the … Read more

    I love a good flowchart.  To me, nothing can simplify a complex process better than a well designed flowchart.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had flowcharts to help us navigate some of life’s more difficult decisions? Flowcharts would … Read more

Paul Purchaser is putting the final touches on his first Invitation for Bids (IFB) for Carolina City, and he’s trying to figure out when he has to place the advertisement for the IFB in the newspaper. He knows the formal … Read more

You have an official letter from a responsible town official responding to your query about zoning. Can you rely on that letter? What legal effect does it have? Consider this situation.

Counties and municipalities in North Carolina are not required to furnish (or fund) fire protection services for their citizens, but many local governments provide, or contract for the provision of, these services within their units. And, typically that fire protection … Read more

Judy Bailey was not just a member of the town council. She was well-known in town for her dog training business and often entertained at local events with her troupe of trained poodles. So it was no surprise when she … Read more

In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court clamped down on public employee free speech.  But its decision, strangely, may have opened the door to greater legal protection for teaching and research by members of the faculties of public colleges and universities. … Read more

Continuing with the theme of Kara Millonzi’s post last week on the use of Social Security numbers by local governments for utility services, this post focuses on how Social Security numbers can be used by local governments for the administration … Read more

This post is co-authored with Christine Wunsche, the Director of the School of Government’s Legislative Reporting Service and Editor of the Daily Bulletin As today marks the opening day of the 150th session of the General Assembly, we wanted to … Read more