RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - With budget planning underway in local jurisdictions across our state, officials may be wondering what obligation they have to involve the public in the process. A new blog posted by Kara Millonzi on "Coates' Canons: NC Local Government Law," seeks to offer perspective.

"A unit’s budget officer must compile budget requests, estimate revenues, and submit a proposed budget and budget message to the board on or before June 1. G.S. 159-11. The budget message must contain a summary explanation of the unit’s goals for the budget year. It serves to highlight important activities funded in the budget and any changes from the previous fiscal year in program goals, appropriation levels, and fiscal policy. Thus when the budget officer submits the proposed budget and message to the board, the unit must also alert the public.

There are three statutory requirements that serve to notify the public of the proposed budget and solicit citizen input. First, on the same day that the budget officer submits the proposed budget to the governing board, he or she must file a copy of it in the clerk’s office. G.S. 159-12(a). It must remain there, available for public inspection during normal office hours, until the governing board adopts the budget ordinance.

The full blog post can be found http://canons.sog.unc.edu/?p=8103