Imagine a balmy autumn evening. You and your family or friends have plans to go out for dinner. The restaurant that you have in mind offers you the chance to grab a table outdoors on the sidewalk. Have you ever … Read more

UPDATE:  The General Assembly amended the E-Verify contracting prohibition for cities and counties during the 2014 legislative session.  Under Section 13 of S.L. 2014-119,  which went into effect on October 1, 2014, the E-Verify contracting prohibition now ONLY applies to … 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

The General Assembly’s crossover deadline has come and gone, so now is a good time to pause and take stock of pending legislation affecting public purchasing and contracting.  Bills proposing changes to our state’s public contracting statutes include authorizing design-build … Read more

During the 2012 Session, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted significant legislation that completely reorganized and updated the state’s emergency management statutes, extended the legal length of law enforcement and emergency management vehicles, and created the criminal offense of terrorism.  … Read more

In 2011, the legislature substantially revised the annexation laws. Among other changes, the 2011 annexation reform law, summarized here, gave property owners in the annexed area the ability to petition to deny the annexation. These changes applied to annexations in … Read more

Harry Potter and those Twilight vampires need to move over and make room for a new literary superhero.  The mighty local government tax collector returns to the best seller lists this week after a fourteen-year absence with the release of … Read more

A frequently asked question if there ever was one. It would be nice if the statutes that govern local government activities were consistent and clear about what specific decisions or activities require governing board approval. No such luck. But there … Read more

UPDATE September 2013:  In 2013 the General Assembly expanded the scope of the bona-fide-farm exemption in several respects.  S.L. 2013 – 347 amends G.S. 153A-340 to provide that exempt activity includes agricultural activity associated with a farm “and any other … Read more

One of the bills enacted by the General Assembly this session imposed new requirements for “owner-contractor” building construction projects.  S.L. 2011-376 (HB 648) is summarized in the Purchasing and Contracting Legislative Wrap-up blog post and the 2011 Purchasing and Contracting … Read more