AG 2002 05 20 (Regular) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Points on Seeking Support for Legislation to Protect Local Revenues 1. Please schedule a meeting with your legislatOrs immediately. Make it a joint meeting with the municipal officials in your county and the elected school board members, if possible. Ask the legislators to support both the changes to the General Statutes to protect local revenues and the constitutional amendment. We will seek bills that would accomplish both: 3. Ask them to pass this legislation early in the session, before June 30 when you must adopt your budget. Tell them respectfully that your board expects to receive all revenues due your county, including the final year of the reimbursements.as well as th~ reimbursements that are currently being with_held. 5. Have this meeting before the short session begins on May 28. 6. Report back to the Association about whether your legislators will support these protections for local revenues. Call Jim Blackburn at (919) 715-2893 Fax him at (919) 733-1065 or e-mail him at iim.blackburn _(-~,ncacc.org If Possible, report back by May 20, 2002. Talking Points 1 The reimbursements for previously repealed local taxes, utility franchise taxes, beer and wine taxes, homestead exemption reimbursement - all these are distributed by statute and do not require any yearly action by the General Assembly. These funds come to local governments automatically unless the' General Assembly enacts legislation to do otherwise or the Governor Withholds the money. I There needs to be certainty in local government revenue sources; that is, local governments' need to know with certainty that the revenues due them will be distributed to. them. Local officials are required to pass budgets before June 30 and need to know what revenue~ to expect in the coming fiscal year. Therefore, this legislation needs to be passed early in the 2002 session, preferably before June 30. Some may raise the point that this legislation will further limit a Governor's options if. ' another fiscal emergency should occur: Our point is that local government revenues'should not be considered part of the state budget in such circumstances.