State COVID-19 Response Legislation / Message to County Membership | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Dear County Commissioners and County Managers:

    We are writing to address an important issue that involves relationships with our municipal partners and our advocacy efforts to secure more direct assistance for counties.

    As part of the legislation the NC General Assembly passed on May 2, legislative leaders gave counties the authority to control and disperse to cities and local partners the local government portion of COVID-19 response funding. We advocated for that discretion, and believe the Assembly made the right decision, primarily because county governments shoulder a greater amount of public health, human services and other first response efforts than our municipal partners. Counties provide these services to every resident within each county, including all who live within a municipal jurisdiction. Moreover, from a financial control and auditing stance, North Carolina's 100 counties operate as an arm of the state government, and administer financial controls and required reporting.

    Since passage of the bill, we understand there may be a perception among some of our municipal partners that counties will intentionally withhold funds from municipalities. That is not the position held by the NCACC and we know counties are working hard to determine how to best share these funds in an equitable manner. We are aware that an intent of the Assembly was to provide recovery funds to local governments and other authorized non-profit organizations for eligible COVID related expenses. We encourage counties to work together with their municipal and local partners, just as municipalities need to work with county and local partners to seek agreeable inter-local funding agreements, as we know many are already doing. We recognize that without guidance this is challenging. We are working hard to gain clearer guidance from OSBM to assist with these conversations and we will share examples of agreements when they are available.

    We are increasingly concerned that this divisive rhetoric will undermine local recovery and harm relations between our counties and cities. It is also important to keep perspective about this current funding source. The funding is relatively small in comparison to the need and it is presently highly restricted. This is a time when local governments should be rallying together as we respond and recover from the COVID-19 crisis, especially as we seek additional resources and flexibility from the US Congress. The coming weeks will require our combined voice and combined advocacy efforts to request that our federal and state partners send counties and cities much needed funding and flexibility for the funds already approved. We must work together to achieve this goal.

    As we navigate these uncharted waters, we encourage our county leaders that now is a time for us to recommit to collaboration, seek those commonalities that make us stronger and unify us. This is hard work, but it is the work of county leaders. Moreover, we know it is the spirit that has long lived in the heart and culture of our Association.

    Sincerely,

Kevin Austin, NCACC President Kevin Leonard, NCACC Executive Director