Conservatives often talk about government being too big and too intrusive on our lives. The Conservative controlled North Carolina Legislature is adding layer after layer of new mandates and laws, which are unnecessary and designed to override the will of the people as expressed through their local town, city and county governments. Let me highlight a few from just the week of April 20th.

Senate Bill 25 restricts the ability of municipalities to enact aesthetic-based standards for building design elements. In cities such as Washington, New Bern, Edenton and many others, local historic districts have established design standards to protect historic homes and neighborhoods from new construction which is not visually compatible.

House Bill 739 eliminates the authority to charge businesses “a reasonable fee” for registering with a city. Last year the Legislature eliminated the municipal privilege license tax authority, costing cities tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenues. Many cities used the privilege license and the registration as a way to protect public safety by allowing cities to track businesses operating in their jurisdictions to ensure that they received appropriate services, the proper inspections, etc.

House Bill 304/Senate Bill 320 substantially undermine local regulation of billboards. They contain several provisions affecting how municipalities can control the placement, size and other aspects of billboards. Though it was set aside for now, it will be considered by legislators later in the legislative session.

House Bill 799 would allow any party appealing a Town or City Board of Adjustment decision to force the local government into binding arbitration, preventing an appeal to Superior Court. This legal remedy is unprecedented in land use disputes, and coupled with an automatic award of attorney’s fees also created by this bill, would encourage litigation at the expense of municipal taxpayers.

Most of these bills are introduced on behalf of big political contributors who couldn’t get what they wanted from their town or city councils or county commissions. In addition to moving decisions away from local government to big State government they make it more difficult for citizens to be heard when they have to travel to attend a House or Senate hearing in Raleigh.

Jim Smith is the First Vice Chair of the Beaufort County Democratic Party.