A key principle of conservatives has always been that the government closest to the people is more responsive to the needs of the people and better connected. However, lately that principle is nothing more than a hollow talking point.

In the last few months, Raleigh Republicans have taken Asheville’s city water system; moved to make local non-partisan elections partisan; invalidated the Dix property lease from the City of Raleigh; and is in the process of taking Charlotte-Douglas International Airport from the authority of the City of Charlotte.

Of course, there’s also our own local examples of the General Assembly refusing to re-authorize Chapel Hill’s voter owned election program and members of the General Assembly attempting to invalidate local ordinances against public smoking.

Our local leaders better understand the needs of our communities and craft policies which respond to those needs and are in line with the values of those communities. It it appears if leaders in Raleigh do not trust those who are closest to the people to govern effectively. Yet they expect local government to take on more responsibilities with fewer resources and even fewer choices.

Perhaps it is best summed up by saying that GOP leaders in Raleigh do not trust folks like our local elected leaders because they don’t like advocating policies they don’t like.

Let’s keep important local policy decision making where it belongs — locally — and urge leadership in Raleigh to focus on the real issues effecting our state like high unemployment, strengthening our education system, and covering the uninsured in our state.

– Matt Hughes

ORANGE COUNTY, NC (May 20, 2013)—The Orange County Financial and Administrative Services Department has posted the County’s budget document and capital investment plan online for the public to review.

The financial documents for fiscal year 2013 – 2014 are available at http://orangecountync.gov/finance/budget.asp

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners will hold two public hearings regarding the County Manager’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2013-14 Annual Operating Budget and Capital Investment Plan.

The first hearing will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, at the Department of Social Services, Hillsborough Commons, 113 Mayo Street, in Hillsborough. 

The second hearing will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, at the Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road, in Chapel Hill.

The Commissioners invite residents who wish to speak about the budget or capital investment plan to provide written or oral comments at one of the public hearings. Those who cannot attend the public hearings may submit written comments via e-mail at or by postal mail:

Orange County Board of County Commissioners
P.O. Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 2727

Copies of the recommended operating budget and capital investment plan will be available for public inspection beginning on Wednesday, May 22, during regular operating hours in the following locations:

·              County Finance and Administrative Services Office, Link Government Services Center, 200 South Cameron Street, Hillsborough

·              Office of the Clerk to the Board, Link Government Services Center, 200 South Cameron Street, Hillsborough

·              Orange County Main Library, 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough

·              Carrboro Branch Library located at McDougle School, 900 Old Fayetteville Road, Chapel Hill

·              Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill

For more information, please contact Clarence G. Grier at 919.245.2453 or send an e-mail to cgrier@orangecountync.gov

Dear Friends,

            Last week was “cross-over” day in the legislature.  Bills that have been introduced had to be passed by one chamber and crossed over to be considered by the other chamber to stay alive in the two-year term.  The only exceptions are those bills that involve money - either a fee or an appropriation.  There are tricks to revive a bill that didn’t make it - the most common is to take a bill that has passed one chamber, strip out its contents, and replace it with your bill that didn’t make it across.  Another is to introduce your bill as an amendment to a bill that has passed.  There were so many bills passed that it will take several weeks to cover all of them.