WHAT HAPPENED: The governor released his budget proposal, and legislators filed another 100 bills.
WHAT IT MEANS: Municipal advocacy goals are addressed. In short, Gov. Roy Cooper's key proposals touch community investment, revitalization programs, a significant bond package (including $800 million for water and sewer systems), and more. Meanwhile, 立法大楼的新提案包括参众两院的两项法案，要求市政当局为消防员提供新的退休福利, without a state funding source. 365足彩下载本周发出了行动警报，为这一有问题的提案提供了有价值的背景. You'll find that in this Bulletin.
ON TAP: More deadlines for legislation. 参议员们必须在星期三(3月13日)之前向大会工作人员提交公开的法案或决议起草请求. 众议院议员必须在4月3日之前通过财政或支出法案，在3月27日之前通过所有其他法案. 立法者提交新的地方法案请求的最后期限已经过去(尽管立法者自己还有一点时间来提交已经起草的地方法案)。.
THE SKINNY: Below, 你会从州长的支出计划和立法事项中找到对城镇重要的重点和细分, notably the proposed mandate. You can also follow every bill we're keeping an eye on with our
easy-to-use tracking service.
本周，365足彩下载发出了两个行动警报，以回应众议院和参议院提出的要求为消防员提供无资金支持的额外退休福利的相同提案. While the League has always supported and championed local responders, 我们敦促您联系您的立法者，并要求他们根据以下问题反对该措施. Specifically, 这些法案将强制要求市政当局为消防员提供并支付拟议的福利, called a “special separation allowance,” without a state funding source. 这意味着市政纳税人将被迫支付这项新退休福利的全部费用.
League members
adopted a policy goal in November to oppose this benefit unless funding is provided. 我们再次要求你们与参众两院的议员联系，提出以下几点. Let them know that these bills --
SB 179 and
HB 278 ——在城镇面临维持现行退休制度的巨大财政压力之际，为城镇创造一个无资金授权.
就在几周前，管理地方政府雇员退休制度的委员会出台了这项立法, to which firefighters belong, 做出了一个艰难的决定，要求市政当局将他们支付给退休制度的金额增加1倍.2 percent of payroll in each of the next three years. That equals more than $75 million in additional costs in each of those three years, with anticipated total additional costs to come to $300 million annually within five years.
为消防员增加一项新的退休福利最初每年将花费城镇大约900万美元. With that in mind, we ask that you make the following points to legislators:
• SB 179 and HB 278 create an unfunded mandate on local government employers and, without a state funding source, will pose a significant burden on municipal taxpayers.
•该立法规定的“特殊离职津贴”是对消防员养老金福利的补充.
•大会工作人员估计，为当前符合条件的地方政府雇员提供这项福利的成本约为3亿美元. The yearly cost would quickly reach $9 million a year, and then continue to grow.
•该提案提出之际，地方政府正不得不大幅增加对地方政府退休体系的贡献，以保持其偿付能力, with additional annual contributions expected to reach $300 million within five years.
•市政当局对当前退休制度的资助使其成为该国资金最充足的退休制度之一, allowing all classes of employees to be secure in their retirement.
Cities and towns already have the authority in law to offer this benefit if they choose to. 这项法案所做的是强制所有城镇提供这种福利，而不需要资金支付. 本周请联系你的立法者，敦促他们反对SB 179和HB 278第一响应者平等, 并要求他们考虑到市政当局正在尽其所能保持当前退休制度的完整.
Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday released
his recommended 2019-21 state budget -- titled, "Investments for a Determined North Carolina" -- supporting numerous
advocacy goals that cities and towns collectively set ahead of the legislative long-session. The 214-page document overall expresses the
governor's own priorities in healthcare, economic development, teacher pay, education-to-workforce opportunities, broadband access, resilience and more.
Among the key proposals addressing municipal goals in the governor's budget:
•创建农村投资加强经济(RISE)计划，并对农村社区进行额外投资, including direct funding for economic development projects in municipalities, grants for rural communities, 200万美元专门用于经济困难县地方政府的工作人员培训和教育资源;
• The proposed $3.9 billion Invest NC Bond on the November 2020 ballot, 其中8亿美元将直接用于供水和污水处理系统的赠款和贷款;
• Increased funding for the Powell Bill program, resulting in a total appropriation of $150 million in each year of the biennium;
• Removal of the sunset on the state’s Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit;
• Increased funding for grant and loan programs that municipalities regularly utilize, including the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and Clean Water Management Trust Fund; and
• Boosted state dollars for housing, including additional funds targeted to rural areas and for persons with disabilities.
Details on these proposals, along with many others impacting cities and towns around the state, are found in a
PDF prepared by League Staff breaking it all down by topic ("General Government;" "Transportation; "Justice and Public Safety" and so on).
As for process, the governor's budget is a recommendation. 众议院和参议院也会在个别项目的优先级或支出水平上制定不同的预算. Before a budget can become law, 立法机构必须制定出一项可以送交州长签署的计划. The governor may greenlight what the legislature sends him, or veto it. 众议院和参议院不再拥有能够快速推翻被否决措施的多数派——这与近年来的情况不同.
A new issue of Southern City magazine, a League quarterly publication, 45页的丰富报道和特色对该州540多个城镇至关重要吗. 本期封面人物是索尔兹伯里市议员(前市长)凯伦·亚历山大, who discusses her background, local priorities, how Salisbury has changed over the years, and how philanthropy isn't always monetary. Rep. Gale Adcock of Cary, a former city council member, is also featured in a Q&这引出了她对政府和经济发展以社区健康为重点的观点，以及她为什么从市政办公室转到州立法机构的反思. The 2020 Census, open data programs, 创意社区治安和倡导目标是新南方城市探索的其他主题之一, available for online reading at taitiansalon.com/southerncity.
The 2019 N.C. Main Street Conference, billed as "the state's premier gathering for downtown revitalization and development," is set for March 12-14 in Salisbury. The theme this year is "Time. Talent. Money." and will explore how those elements interact in downtown improvement. 2019年的会议将为与会者提供工具，帮助他们改造市中心地区，同时允许公私合作伙伴关系蓬勃发展, ways to help local businesses grow, and how to develop a comprehensive downtown program," says a press release. The event is put on by the N.C. Department of Commerce and its Main Street & 农村规划中心的领导人对今年将它带到索尔兹伯里表示兴奋. Said Main Street Center Director Liz Parham, “Salisbury is the epitome of what a Main Street community is; a strong public-private partnership that develops innovative economic development strategies and initiatives, through the implementation of the Main Street Four-Point Approach." Registration and other information is at ncmainstreetconference.com.
