1. Municipal Attorneys Winter Conference
March 16, 2006
Frayda S. Bluestein
Institute of Government

2. Do North Carolina Local Governments Need Home Rule?
How I Spent My Spring 2005 Research Leave

3. Overview Home rule systems North Carolina system Comparison
Form of delegation
Judicial interpretation
North Carolina system
Comparison
Recommendations

4. Home Rule All but three states have some form of home rule delegation
Constitutional
Self-executing
Non self-executing (most common)
Legislative

5. Effects of Home Rule
Provides broad authority to govern local affairs without need for specific grants of authority from the state; and
Limits interference by state legislation in matters of local concern.
Commentary and case law indicate that second effect is overstated; experience with home rule in many states is disappointment.

6. Elements of Home Rule
Definition: Power of local self-government; power to deal with matters of local concern without state legislative approval as long as actions do not conflict with defined state policies.
Source: Home Rule in America: A Fifty-State Handbook

7. Home Rule Delegation Typical language:
…make and enforce local police, sanitary and other regulations as are not in conflict with its charter or with the general laws.
…determine local affairs and government not inconsistent with the laws of the General Assembly.
…authority over all local matters not expressly denied by general law or charter
…powers conferred, subject to such limitations as may be prescribed by the legislature.

8. Interpretation Issues
How broad is state preemptive authority?
State general laws limited to statewide issues or may legislature preempt on local issues?
Some limitations on local acts preserve ability to preempt by general laws.
Implicit preemption (occupies the field) allowed in some states.
What constitute local vs. statewide issues?
Standard of review.

9. Statewide/Local Issues
Aniteau: “There is no clear or workable test separating local from general concerns.”
Local: No extraterritorial effects
State: Need for statewide uniformity; extraterritorial impact; traditional/historical state or local role.
Test case: Red-light cameras

10. Standard of Review
Some constitutions/statutes call for home rule authority to be liberally construed for maximum local self-government
Legislative home rule provisions and some constitutions enumerate specific powers granted
Courts have applied Dillon’s rule in home-rule states; state legislation necessary to override
Other courts hold that Dillon’s rule is inherently inconsistent with home rule

11. North Carolina System
Broad authority granted through specific delegations
Structural “home-rule” powers delegated
Delegations contain substantive and procedural limitations
Dillon’s-rule state?

12. Dillon’s rule/Home rule
Home rule: form of delegation of local authority
Dillon’s rule: rule of judicial interpretation of scope of authority delegated
North Carolina: non home-rule, non Dillon’s-rule state

13. Broad Construction Statute
Adequate authority to exercise powers, rights, duties, functions, privileges and immunities conferred…this chapter and city charters shall be broadly construed and grants of power shall be construed to include any additional and supplementary powers that are reasonably necessary or expedient to carry them into execution and effect.
G.S. 160A-4.

14. BellSouth v. Laurinburg
Broad construction has replaced Dillon’s rule where statute is ambiguous.
Dillon’s rule applies where the plain meaning of the statute is “without ambiguity.”
Still confused? Subsequent case cites both Dillon’s rule and broad construction language as basic standard.
Campbell v. Laurinburg, 608 S.E.2d 98 (N.C. App.2005)

15. Which is better? “Where you stand depends on where you sit.”
Politically difficult to succeed in creating new home rule authority.
Views on effect of home rule on policy issues vary.
Effect of home rule influenced by economic, political, historical factors.

16. Comparison Common elements: Broad authority granted
North Carolina greater extraterritorial, fiscal authority than some home-rule states
Substantial state preemptive authority
Some victories on important policy issues under interpretation of local concern in home-rule states
Judicial interpretations tend to limit scope of authority

17. Recommendations
Avoid politically unimportant detail in enabling statutes
Clarify scope of broad construction
Statutes beyond Chapter 153A, 160A; consider all powers except those excluded
Clarify meaning; presumption in favor of authority unless explicitly excluded
Authorize local ordinances to conform charter provisions to general law

18. Recommendations
Improve efficiency, flexibility, predictability for exercise of authority granted
Not a proposal for more authority
Plain meaning not restrictive if supplemental powers are reasonably necessary to carry out delegated authority under broad construction formulation