As we continue to wrestle with S.B. 473 and its impact on local governing boards, several additional questions have arisen. I’ll address two of the most common (and interesting!) here.
Elections are over, TV ads are back to normal, and mail boxes are no longer full of campaign flyers. Ballots have been counted, results certified, and oaths of office taken. Among the other duties and obligations required of newly elected … Read more
If you are a local government official who serves on the TAC of a MPO or RPO, recently enacted legislation makes you subject to civil fines and potential criminal prosecution for failing to file or filing incomplete your SEI and … Read more
North Carolina holds its local government board members’ feet to the fire when it comes to voting. City council members and county commissioners have a legal duty to vote unless they are excused for any of several grounds allowed under … Read more
When it’s filing season for people seeking city or county offices, questions often arise about who can run. Can the spouse of a current board member run? What about the spouse of a current employee? How about the adult child … Read more
During the 2012 short session, the General Assembly enacted legislation that covered members of local transportation planning groups, known as RPOs and MPOs, under the State Government Ethics Act (GS Chapter 138A), the same ethics laws that apply to many … Read more
UPDATE: NEW LEGISLATION (SB411) WENT INTO EFFECT ON JUNE 19, 2013, SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGING THE ETHICS REQUIREMENTS FOR MPOs AND RPOs. CLICK HERE FOR A NEW BLOG POST OUTLINES THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS. During the recent legislative session, the General Assembly designated … Read more
A rezoning petition is pending before the city council. The parcel involved is zoned for single-family residential use. The landowner wants to build a retail store on the site, so she is seeking a change in the zoning to a … Read more
We say it until we’re blue in the face: municipal and county governing board members have a duty to vote. There is no authority to abstain, or to be excused for a mere “appearance of impropriety.” Instead, state law is … Read more
You want to run for city council, but you or your company has a contract with the city (or maybe you want to run to be a county commissioner and the contract is with the county). Can you be a … Read more