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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 02-07-2012 - 8dORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 7, 2012 Action Agenda Item No. Q~ -d SUBJECT: Recommendations to NCACC Regarding Priority Federal Issues DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners/County PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Manager ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernadette Pelissier, BOCC Chair, 245- Request for Federal Issues Priorities from 2130 NCACC Pam Hemminger, BOCC Vice Chair, 245-2130 Frank Clifton, 245-2300 PURPOSE:. To review and approve recommendations to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) on priority federal issues of importance to all counties. BACKGROUND: The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners has requested (see attachment) that Orange County, along with the other 99 North Carolina counties, submit recommendations regarding priority federal issues of importance to all counties. The attachment also includes the request that each county only submit 1-2 issues of the highest priority. Based on initial discussion and review of the "2011 Congressional Issues for North Carolina Counties" that is provided for reference in the attachment, Board Chair Bernadette Pelissier and Vice Chair Pam Hemminger have suggested that the Board consider the following two recommendations to NCACC as Orange County's priority federal issues: • Issue: Oppose Federal Budget Cuts to Counties without Corresponding Cuts in Federal Mandates . • Issue: Support Remote Sales Tax Collection FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with reviewing and approving recommendations to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) on priority federal issues of importance to all counties. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board review and approve recommendations to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) on priority federal issues of importance to all counties, and direct the Clerk to the Board to complete the necessary forms and submit these priority federal issues to NCACC by the February 10, 2012 deadline. 2 To: County Chairmen cc: County Managers, County Clerks /SStlES: • NCACC solicits your county's help in identifying those federal issues of statewide importance to atl counties • NCACC asks that you review NCACC's 2011 Congressional Issues of Interest to Counties and NACo's 2012 Legislative Priorities • NCACC's Board of Directors will vote Feb. 22 to determine which issues to present to N.C. Congressional delegation during NACo's Legislative Conference, March 3-7, Washington, D.C. ACTIONS NEEDED: • Please submit your county's federal issues of statewide importance to all counties to NCACC by Friday, Feb. 10 (see below for submission instructions) • Please plan to attend N.C. Congressional Breakfast on Wednesday, March 7, Washington, D.C. NCACC solicits your county's help in identifying those federal issues of statewide importance to all counties. In preparation for the upcoming NACo Legislative Conference and the scheduled Congressional breakfast with North Carolina delegates, NCACC is soliciting federal issues of interest to your county that are statewide in nature. Each year, Association staff members compile Congressional issue papers for distribution to our Congressional delegation and their staff. These issue papers, adopted by the NCACC Board of Directors, identify and summarize our counties' concerns regarding specific federal legislation and administrative rule-making that impact North Carolina county government. Please submit your county's federal issues of statewide importance to NCACC by Friday, Feb. 10. We recognize that there are many potential issues, but we ask that you submit only 1-2 issues of the highest priority so that we may better focus our efforts. Please fill out the issues form below for each proposal, and reply to this email with your county's proposals. Prospective federal issues will be presented to the NCACC Board of 3 Directors at its Feb. 22 meeting for consideration and approval for inclusion into the 2012 Congressional issues packet. The Board will assess each issue based on its statewide county government impact and whether Congressional action is imminent. NCACC asks that you review NCACC's 2011 Congressional Issues of Interest to Counties and NACo's 2012 Legislative Priorities. For your information, the NCACC Board of Directors approved the following statewide federal issues for 2011. Please find these listed below, along with a legislative status of each issue, based on any action by the 112th Congress: 2011 Congressional Issues for North Carolina Counties • Issue: Oppose Federal Budget Cuts to Counties without Corresponding Cuts in Federal Mandates o Status: The Budget Control Act of 2011 sets deficit reduction targets of $841 billion for discretionary spending caps and $1.2 trillion for the Super Committee's deficit reduction plan. Since the committee could not reach consensus, and barring further congressional action, sequestration is scheduled to begin Jan 2, 2013, leading to automatic across-the-board spending cuts of $2 trillion over 9 years, half from defense and half from non-defense discretionary spending. 14% cuts are projected for 2013, unless further legislative action is taken. • Issue: Support County Government Preference for Service Delivery • Issue: Support Remote Sales Tax Collection o Status: 3 bills have been introduced to move forward collection of remote sales taxes, taxes already due and payable. The Main Street Fairness Act (S. 1452) and its House Companion H.R. 2701 would codify the Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement. The Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 1832) provides 2 options for remote sales tax collection: the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement and an alternative where states may collect after adopting minimum simplification requirements. NC is in compliance with the SSTA and has been a governing board member since inception. • Issue: Oppose New EPA Ozone Standards for Primary and Secondary Designations o Status: President Obama instructed EPA to withdraw the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards in early September, awaiting an update to the 2006 science review for reconsideration of the ozone standard in 2013. Issue: Oppose Federal Preemption of State Law Regulating Collective Bargaining of Public Employees o Status: No legislation to preempt public employee collective bargaining has moved. Also for your information, please find following NACo's 2012 legislative priorities, as adopted by the NACo Board of Directors at its December 2011 meeting. • Promote a balanced approach to deficit reduction. Protect county programs during budget deficit reduction and appropriation considerations. Balance includes looking at discretionary, defense and entitlement spending, and revenue enhancements. 4 • Support the reauthorization of the Farm Bill and Priority for Rural Development Programs. • Work to eliminate the federal health benefits "inmate exception" for persons in county jails and detention centers who are in custody pending disposition of charges. • Maintain the original federal-state-local partnership for financing and delivering Medicaid and social services, and oppose measures that will shift Medicaid and social service costs to counties. • Maintain full funding for Payments in Lieu Of Taxes (PICT), Secure Rural Schools (SRS) programs and Community Self-Determination Act. • Reauthorize aviation and surtace transportation programs. • Oppose unfunded mandates and preemptions. Please plan to attend N.C. Congressional Breakfast on Wednesday, March 7, Washington, D.C. As a reminder, the NACo Legislative Conference will be held Saturday -Wednesday, March 3- 7, at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Please complete conference and hotel registrations as soon as possible to ensure your stay at the Washington Hilton. NACo's conference schedule should allow convenient participation by our Congressional delegation. The opening educational sessions are on Monday, March 5, beginning at 9 a.m., with the concluding event being visits to Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning. Pre-conference workshops, steering committees and affiliate meetings will start on Saturday, March 3. NCACC members will caucus on Monday, March 5, from 4 - 5:30 p.m. NCACC will host a state reception for N.C. attendees from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, March 7, the NCACC will sponsor its annual Congressional Breakfast from 8 - 9:30 a.m. in the Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE. We also suggest that our commissioners schedule individual meetings with their Congressional delegation following the statewide breakfast, or at other times convenient to your representatives. Registration materials for the breakfast will be sent out in early February, but please schedule your conference travel plans to accommodate the breakfast and Capitol Hill visits. 2012 Congressional Issues Proposal Form Name: Issue: County: Description: 5 Has a bill been introduced in Congress? If yes, please provide bill number. Senate Bill No.: No. (Please answer the following questions) How does this issue impact counties? Yes No House Bill Does this issue contain a cost to counties? Please explain: Yes No Does this issue impact county authority? Please explain: Yes No ~~~ ~~~~ ~. ~ ~ c - r ~~ ~~~~ c~ ~~~'~]Ea`x ~b Rebecca Troutman Intergovernmental Relations Director North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Phone (919) 715-4360 I Cell (919) 744-4718 www.ncacc.ors www.welcom etovourcountv.or~