Today@NCCapitol (June 8): Zip lines, traditional math, liquor regs on agenda

"We don't have an agenda we're bringing in to do this or don't do that," said league 1st Vice President Bob Matheny, the mayor of Zebulon.

Unlike recent years, when city officials were urging lawmakers to back off bills to override local zoning decisions or shift control of assets such as airports and water systems, Matheny said league members would be stressing "what municipal government brings to the table."

Among the points they will make, he said, is that cities create the environment in which North Carolina businesses generate billions of dollars worth of retail sales every year.

That said, Matheny added, local officials will stress that cities and towns do best when they're allowed to manage their own affairs.

"Give us the ability to govern our own municipal governments," said the league's 2nd vice president, Mayor Pro Tem Michael Lazzara of Jacksonville. "That's the general message we want to communicate and advocate for."

More than 500 local officials are registered to be part of the group that descends on the Legislative Building. While it's not on their official agenda, the controversial House Bill 2 dealing with the use of bathrooms by transgender individuals could come up.

"The league's position is it takes away from local authority," Matheny said, pointing to provisions that override local decisions on nondiscrimination ordinances and minimum wage.

He said each individual official or city may have a viewpoint on the right way to handle LGBT and other issues, but generally said that decision should be left to local governments.

For his own view on House Bill 2, Matheny added, "It's very obvious North Carolina is being hurt. I was recently in San Antonio, Texas, and that's all that anyone there wanted to talk about."