Press Release:

NCACC Hosts Senator Tillis for County Convening

    This week NCACC hosted a visit from US Senator Thom Tillis at the Quorum Center in Raleigh. Senator Tillis met in-person with NCACC executive officers while other county officials from across the state joined virtually. Senator Tillis answered a number of questions from participants related to federal issues that affect NC counties.

    NCACC thanks Senator Tillis for spending time with county leaders and for his efforts to help our counties address the issues that face their residents. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed HERE.

Notable Activity

    The halls of the General Assembly remained relatively quiet this week as lack of consensus between the House and Senate over the budget process has slowed work between the chambers. Leaders of the House and Senate have not agreed on a spending amount for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, delaying the ability of the Senate to complete its budget to send to the House. A few bills of interest to counties did see action this week, including one addressing one of NCACC's legislative priorities clearing up remote meeting authority. That bill, and other bills of interest, are noted below:

    House Bill 812: Clarify Remote Meetings During Emergencies — amends current law to clarify that a public body may take action during a remote meeting if it allows for submissions of written comments on the subject of the public hearing between the required meeting notice and 24 hours prior to the noticed time for the hearing. The bill also allows a public body that has issued notice for an in-person meeting to amend the notice to make the meeting a remote meeting up to six hours before the noticed time for the in-person meeting. The bill passed the Senate Judiciary and Senate Rules committees this week and now could be approved by the full Senate early next week before heading to the Governor for his signature. This legislation addresses a goal of NCACC and NCACC supports this legislation.

    House Bill 500: Disaster Relief and Mitigation Act of 2021 — establishes and funds flood mitigation programs in various parts of the state prone to flooding. The legislation also sets up divisions related to transportation resiliency within the NC Department of Transportation as well as natural infrastructure pilot program in Wayne County. The bill passed the House Committee on Environment and now heads to Appropriations. The legislation addresses a long standing NCACC legislative goal to increase state support for disaster relief and flood mitigation.



    COVID-19 vaccines are now available to individuals 12 and older across the state, and 49% of adults are fully vaccinated. 39% of the state's population is fully vaccinated.



    The Office of Recovery Programs in the US Department of the Treasury released guidance for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds last month. The Treasury Portal to request Local Fiscal Recovery Funds is now open. Counties should visit the Submission Portal to request funds directly from Treasury. NCACC has held two informational webinars to review the guidance and offer resources, and www.ncacc.org/arp includes links to county allocation amounts and a county-focused FAQs list.

• NACo State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Funds Website
• NCACC Local Fiscal Recovery Funds FAQs
• Interim Final Rule
• County Allocations