Blog Entry List
The State recently reopened applications for rent and/or utility bill assistance through its HOPE program. Residents can apply for assistance at 888-9ASK-HOPE or at hope.nc.gov in 88 of the 100 counties in North Carolina. The remaining 12 counties have their own rental and utility bill assistance programs and persons interested in getting help in those counties should apply directly to their county agency.
While there isn’t a lot of firm guidance available on ARPA funds, some aspects have become a little clearer with the issuance of the Interim Final Rule by the UST on May 11, 2021. SLG staff, as well as SOG and NCPRO staff, have been receiving a number of questions on the accounting, auditing, and budgeting of these funds. This is not intended to be comprehensive guidance but should provide units some guardrails within which to operate until we know more.
Receiving and holding funds:
Registration is now open for the 2021 State Treasurer's Auditing, Reporting, and Review Conference. As in 2020, this conference will be provided virtually and will span multiple days - June 15, June 22, and June 24 from 9:30am-12pm each day. Cost is $225 for the entire course. Please see the UNC School of Government website for details and registration.
Local Government Commission staff has emailed statements of debt service obligations to local governments, as required by North Carolina General Statute 159-35. Finance Officers of units with outstanding debt approved by the LGC should have received an email with a link to the LGC129 Report – Annual Bond and Note Principal and Interest Requirements.
The North Carolina League of Municipalities is hosting an “American Rescue Plan: Accessing Funding” webinar on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, from 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm. The League will be joined by staff from the NC Pandemic Recovery Office for a Q&A about the ARP funding for cities and towns. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Any municipal staff and/or elected officials who will be involved with ARP funding processes are encouraged to attend.
As more fully explained in Professor Kara Millonzi’s blog on utility rates, local governments and public authorities must have a utility-based reason for charging Customer A one rate and Customer B a different rate for the same type of service, such as water, sewer, or electricity. It’s common practice for local utilities to charge residential rates to its residential customers, and commercial rates to its businesses.
Most local governments will embark on a capital project periodically, whether the project is for utilities, streets, or other purposes. The Local Government Commission (LGC) staff has noted some areas of concern involving the budgeting and pre-auditing of expenditures related to debt- and grant-funded construction projects, particularly those costs that are incurred at the beginning of a project.
Please see this announcement from the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant opportunities. From the announcement: Funds for the FY 2021 RAISE grant program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for surface transportation infrastructure projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. This program was formerly known as BUILD Transportation Grants.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued pre-award guidance for state and local governments with regard to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Please refer to their webpage for details.
This course is currently full. Please see this blog post for details on a second section being offered on June 2.
SERCAP is offering a virtual HR training course for local government leaders and staff on April 20 from 8 AM to 1 PM. For more information please see the agenda and registration form.
The UNC School of Government and LGC staff are pleased to offer a virtual course: Leases – Implementation of GASB Statement 87. The two-day course will be held from 10am-12pm on Tuesday May 18 and Thursday May 20.
Please click here for more information and to register for the course.
The Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS is offering a free webinar on Taxable Fringe Benefits. Please see the announcement below from the FSLG Newsletter:
The Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP) is offering two regional workshops addressing water and wastewater utility finance.
LGC staff are developing responses to the GASB Board related to the four GASB financial reporting model project documents located at https://gasb.org/exposuredocuments. If you are a NC local government or a firm that audits NC local governments and are submitting comments to GASB on these reporting model documents, please share your comments to GASB with our staff. Our staff will do the same. Mutual understanding of our concerns may help us all develop improved responses so that the guidance works better for North Carolina.