Brunswick County Commissioners pass resolution opposing de facto unfunded mandates

BOLIVIA — The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the following resolution at its meeting on Monday, June 17, 2013:

RESOLUTION OPPOSING DE FACTO UNFUNDED MANDATES

WHEREAS, the County of Brunswick is a political subdivision of the State of North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, county governments in North Carolina are required to perform a number of functions by State and Federal Law; and

WHEREAS, county governments are already required to bear the costs of many of these mandated functions; and

WHEREAS, county governments in North Carolina may only generate revenues through means authorized or allowed through legislation enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate are currently considering tax reform proposals and other bills, some of which could impact county governments’ base of revenues; and

WHEREAS, based on our own internal calculations, an estimated 72% of the County of Brunswick’s general fund budget for Fiscal Year 2013-14 will be used to fund departments or programs that are required or funded by the state or federal government;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners considers any reduction of county governments’ revenue base that results from legislation and is not accompanied by a corresponding reduction in state-mandated responsibilities to be a de facto unfunded mandate; and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners requests that the North Carolina General Assembly refrain from including any such de facto unfunded mandates in any tax reform proposals it considers; and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED, that the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners requests that our county’s representatives in the General Assembly oppose, and vote against bills that include any such de facto unfunded mandates.