The Role of Partnerships in Strengthening Local Governance: The North Carolina Local Government Commission

• Author: Sharon G. Edmundson
• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X211067426
• Date: 01 December 2021
• Published date: 01 December 2021
• Subject Matter: Perspective Essay

The Role of Partnerships in

Strengthening Local

Governance: The North Carolina

Local Government Commission

Sharon G. Edmundson

The word “partnership”often invokes thoughts

of collaboration and cooperation, concepts that

may not be associated very often with govern-

ment. However, state and local governments

are increasingly relying on partnerships within

their own organizations and across multiple

levels of government and the private sector to

provide services, solve problems, and expand

possibilities. While each state is different, the

division of power, services, and responsibilities

between state and local governments has gener-

ally become more blurred over time, forcing

governments to work together to face their chal-

lenges and develop reasonable solutions.

Russell Hanson, in his book Governing

Partners: State-local relations in the United

States (Hanson 1998), talks about the expand-

ing role of states, thanks in part to increasing

federal mandates and regulations. He goes on

to say that states have not handled this expan-

sion independently, but have done so by

working “with, through, and around units of

local government in providing public goods

and services. Because of this connection, any

change in the role of state governments affects

relations with their local governments. The

increasing responsibilities of state governments

have therefore produced a more intricate and

complicated partnership between state and

local governments”(Hanson 1998). Solving

problems at the local level helps support the

state’s big picture goals, whether they are

related to improving education, increased eco-

nomic development, or other laudable efforts.

A state commission in North Carolina provides

a great example of how state and local govern-

ment, along with advocacy groups and acade-

mia, can come together to develop solutions

for a single local government or a large group

of local entities with similar problems.

When the General Assembly of the State of

North Carolina created the Local Government

Commission (LGC) in 1931, I am reasonably

sure that body never envisioned the myriad

challenges that local governments in our state

and across the country are facing today.

However, strong legislation has been the back-

bone of local government finance in North

Carolina. The LGC has fiscal oversight over

all local governments and most public authori-

ties in North Carolina. Local governments in

North Carolina must have most of their debt

approved by the LGC and must submit annual

audits to the LGC staff for review each year.

Staff reviews the audits for signs of financial

weakness and internal control concerns.

Information gleaned from those reviews is an

Deputy Treasurer, State and Local Government Finance

Division, North Carolina Department of State Treasurer,

State of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, USA

Corresponding Author:

Sharon G. Edmundson, Deputy Treasurer, State and Local

Government Finance Division, North Carolina Department

of State Treasurer, State of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC,

USA.

Email: sharon.edmundson@nctreasurer.com

Perspective Essay

State and Local Government Review

2021, Vol. 53(4) 275-280

© The Author(s) 2021

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/0160323X211067426

journals.sagepub.com/home/slg