UPDATE November 2013: In 2010 the General Assembly enacted substantial changes to the personnel records privacy statutes discussed in this post, but those changes do not affect the analysis in the post. The city manager enters a written contract of employment with the city council.  The school superintendent has a written contract.  So does the county manager.  Are these contracts open for public inspection?  Is any governmental employment contract open?  Does a curious citizen, or the local newspaper, have the right to see and copy the contract?  The answer has to be Yes,

UPDATE November 2013: In 2010 the General Assembly enacted substantial changes to the personnel records privacy statutes discussed in this post, but those changes do not affect the analysis in the post. The city manager enters a written contract of employment with the city council.  The school superintendent has a written contract.  So does the county manager.  Are these contracts open for public inspection?  Is any governmental employment contract open?  Does a curious citizen, or the local newspaper, have the right to see and copy the contract?  The answer has to be Yes,

Given the gaming industry’s aggressive litigation strategy against criminal sanctions, it seemed only a matter of time before internet sweepstakes operators responded similarly to the growing number of municipal privilege license taxes imposed on their businesses.  That time has arrived.   In late April lawyers for … Read more

It is budget season. And, once again, local government officials face tough decisions about how to balance their annual budgets—Raise taxes and fees? Curtail services? Delay projects? Cut personnel? If my volume of phone calls is any indication, however, the … Read more

It is budget season. And, once again, local government officials face tough decisions about how to balance their annual budgets—Raise taxes and fees? Curtail services? Delay projects? Cut personnel?

It is budget season. And, once again, local government officials face tough decisions about how to balance their annual budgets—Raise taxes and fees? Curtail services? Delay projects? Cut personnel?

Many of you are aware that Governor Bev Purdue recently signed an executive order to give North Carolina businesses the opportunity to match the lowest bid when bidding on state contracts for the purchase of goods. You can find Executive … Read more

In an earlier blog, I discussed the meaning of “public office.”  As promised, I will now examine multiple and ex officio office-holding. North Carolina has long had a state policy against concentrating too much government power in the hands of … Read more

With apologies to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the title of this post accurately summarizes my usual response when asked about the consequences facing a local government that fails to deliver property tax bills in a timely fashion.   N.C. property tax law does … Read more

With apologies to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the title of this post accurately summarizes my usual response when asked about the consequences facing a local government that fails to deliver