North Carolina's Cities Pushing For Funds

"Saying that urban growth has shifted the state's big needs from the country to the city, North Carolina's largest municipalities have banded together and are hiring a lobbyist to pry loose more money and block harmful bills in the General Assembly. Among those issues are transportation funding and winning more local authority to set fees and taxes. Building upon an older organization that focused solely on public transportation issues, the coalition has signed up 16 of the largest towns and cities; and its leaders say Winston-Salem is about to join, too. They hope to have an executive director-lobbyist aboard in time to flex their muscle in the legislative session that starts this month. So far, though, they're missing a key ally: the city of Raleigh."