Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) on Wednesday, September 25, extending funding of the federal government for an additional 12 weeks through December 20. When Congress returns for the lame duck session on November 12, 2024, the top priority will be to address funding for the federal government for the next fiscal year.
Federal lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on September 9 for a three-week session before breaking again on September 27, 2024, until after Election Day. In those three weeks, the House and Senate are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, to avoid a full or partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins October 1, 2024.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises, Inc. v. Raimondo significantly changes the balance of interpretive authority between the federal judiciary and executive agencies. This ruling ended 40 years of precedent, set by a doctrine known as “Chevron deference,” and will impact federal agencies and the regulations they enforce, eventually extending to the work of local governments in North Carolina.
Read on to see how this may affect local communities.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently requesting proposals from non-federal applicants for water resources projects to include in the next Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Read on to learn how the WRDA creates projects in our region.
The Farm Bill governs federal government programs related to agriculture, nutrition and the environment and is traditionally reauthorized every five years. Due to the Farm Bill’s important role in facilitating America’s food systems, it is considered “must-pass” legislation. The Farm Bill provides funding in two ways. Learn more…
After lots of planning (plus a three-year delay thanks to the pandemic), Centralina eagerly hosted its first Women in Government event on Thursday, March 28th. U.S. Congresswoman Alma Adams, Ph.D delivered opening remarks to elected officials and city staff about her career in government, encouraging attendees to keep proving that women’s insight is needed and that women in government positively impact the bottom line.
In mid-February, Executive Director Geraldine Gardner traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the annual National Conference of Regions hosted by the National Association of Regional Councils. While in DC, she participated in numerous advocacy meetings, with the assistance of Centralina’s federal government relations expert Leslie Mozingo, to discuss Centralina’s federal priorities as listed on the approved Federal Action Plan.
On January 18, 2024, both the U.S. House and Senate passed a third Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating while negotiations on FY24 appropriations continue. The new CR continues the laddered approach enacted in the previous CR by providing two deadlines that apply to different spending bills.
Centralina got 2024 off to a great start by hosting a breakfast on January 5th for the region’s newly elected local officials. The event featured an open, fireside style of conversation with North Carolina’s senior U.S. Senator, Thom Tillis, who encouraged local elected officials “to think about regional connectivity” when approaching the federal government for resources and to think creatively.
Each year, the federal government provides significant funding to state and local governments. Those funds, usually in the form of federal grants, awards and assistance agreements, provide funding for all types of programs and services, including but not limited to, water and transportation infrastructure, public safety, environmental improvements and energy efficiency. The federal government places conditions on this type of funding with the goal of making sure federal dollars are spent properly. Those conditions, however, can sometimes create burdens without adding value, and those in Washington are taking note.
Federal funds are commonly passed through state agencies in North Carolina before being awarded to local governments, which can make the original funding source less obvious. Before proceeding with a procurement, local governments should verify whether an award originates from a federal source. This determination affects compliance obligations, including procurement standards, reporting, and audit requirements.
When a construction or repair contract over $300,000 involves a building, the procurement and contract are subject to additional requirements under N.C.G.S. 143-128. Therefore, this question must be answered to determine whether the additional statutory requirements apply to this procurement scenario.
The micro-purchase threshold is a federal procurement threshold under which competitive procurement is not required. The default micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, but local governments may increase the micro-purchase threshold up to $50,000. An explanation of increasing the micro-purchase threshold and a template for the required annual self-certification is available here.