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McCrory Disagrees With Last Session's Billboard Legislation

June 25, 2012

Former Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor, spoke up over the weekend in defense of the state’s cities and towns. Specifically, he said he disagreed with the General Assembly’s decision last session to eliminate local control over tree-cutting decisions around billboards.

McCrory appeared at a forum in Wilmington with Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Asked to differentiate himself from state legislators, McCrory mentioned the billboard legislation passed in 2011.

“I also disagreed with some of the legislation which took away power from local governments, especially with regard to billboard legislation,” McCrory said. “I didn’t think it was right to take away that local power.”

As noted in Friday’s LeagueLINC Bulletin, SB 428 would return some local authority to decisions regarding billboards and was approved by the House Environment Committee last week. Please continue to contact your legislators and let them know of your support for this bill.

In addition to his opposition to the billboard legislation, McCrory commented more generally on criticism of North Carolina’s municipalities.

“It’s just amazing to me that we attack cities and towns in this state,” he said. “We have to unite instead of attack. We have to have dialogue that’s constructive, and that’s why I’m running for governor.”

The forum can be viewed online here. McCrory’s comments regarding billboards and cities and towns begin at approximately the 19:20 mark. A full recap of the forum from Raleigh’s WRAL can be found here.

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Paul Meyer