§ 143-506.14. North Carolina Office of Local Government Advocacy created; membership; terms; meetings; compensation; powers and duties; staff; cooperation by departments. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 143‑506.14. North Carolina Office of Local Government Advocacy created; membership; terms;meetings; compensation; powers and duties; staff; cooperation by departments.

(a)        There is established in the office of the Governor, theNorth Carolina Office of Local Government Advocacy.  The Local GovernmentAdvocacy Council, created by Executive Order Number 22, is hereby transferredto the Office of Local Government Advocacy.  The Council shall consist of 19persons and shall be composed as follows:  six members representing countygovernment, five of whom are the members of the Executive Committee of theNorth Carolina Association of County Commissioners and one who is the ExecutiveDirector of the Association; six members representing municipal government, fiveof whom are the members of the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Leagueof Municipalities and one who is the Executive Director of the League; twoSenators appointed by the President ProTempore of the Senate; two members of the House of Representatives, appointedby the Speaker of the House of Representatives and three at‑large membersappointed by the Governor.  The Association of County Commissioners and theLeague of Municipalities representatives shall serve terms on the Councilconsistent with their terms as Executive Committee members appointed by theGovernor.  The members appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representativesshall serve until January 15, 1981, or until their successors are appointed, whicheveris later.  Their successors shall serve a term of two years.  The at‑largemembers shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor for a period of two years. The Chairman and Vice‑Chairman shall be the President of the Associationof County Commissioners and the President of the League of Municipalitiesrespectively, with the office rotating between the League and Associationannually.  Provided that no person among those appointed by the Governor, thePresident Pro Tempore of theSenate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall serve on theCouncil for more than two complete consecutive terms.

(b)        The Council shall meet at least once each quarter and mayhold special meetings at any time at the call of the Chairman or the Governor.

The members of the Council shall receive per diem and necessary traveland subsistence expenses in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138‑5.

(c)        Membership.  The Local Government Advocacy Council shall notbe considered a public office and, to that end membership may be held inaddition to the number of offices authorized by G.S. 128‑1.1.

(d)        The general duties and responsibilities of the Council are:

(1)        To advocate on behalf of local government and to advise theGovernor and his Cabinet on the development and implementation of policies andprograms which directly affect local government;

(2)        To function as liaison for State and local relations andcommunications;

(3)        To identify problem areas and recommend policies withrespect to State, regional and local relations; and

(4)        To review, monitor and evaluate current and proposed Stateprogram policies, practices, procedures, guidelines and regulations withrespect to their effect on local government.

(e)        The Office of Local Government Advocacy shall be staffed bypersons knowledgeable of local government who shall seek to carry out thedirectives of the Local Government Advocacy Council by:

(1)        Advocating the policies of the Council with various Statedepartments;

(2)        Serving as a communications liaison between the LocalGovernment Advocacy Council and the various State departments; and

(3)        Functioning as an ombudsman for the resolution of localgovernment problems.

(f)         It shall be the responsibility of each respective Cabinetdepartment head to:  (i) insure that departmental employees make every effortto cooperate with and provide support to the Local Government Advocacy Councilin keeping with the intent of this Article; and (ii) advise the LocalGovernment Advocacy Council of their proposed policies and plans for review interms of their effect on local government. (1979, c. 412, s. 9; 1991, c. 739, s. 23.)