Roanoke Rapids City Council is reviewing its legislative goals for the upcoming year.
City Manager Kelly Traynham said the goals have to be sent to the county by next month.
“Each year municipalities in Halifax County review the previous year’s legislative goals and make any revisions, deletions or additions,” Traynham said in the accompanying memo to the panel for its work session Tuesday.
For Roanoke Rapids the current legislative goals are as follows:
Community revitalization
Seek legislation and financial aid for improvement of blighted commercial districts and residential housing by providing grant opportunities for home renovations for qualifying properties.
Pedestrian-transportation improvements
Support legislation for pedestrian improvements along state-maintained highways within the city limits, including, but not limited to pedestrian crossing upgrades at the intersection of Julian R. Allsbrook Highway and Premier Boulevard.
Transportation improvements
Support legislation for improvements to the intersection of Premier Boulevard and Fourth Avenue due to ongoing congestion concerns from access limitations from the commercial subdivision shared access along the state roads.
Affordable housing initiatives
Seek and support legislation to provide small cities and towns located within economically distressed counties the additional tools for funding and development initiatives to create opportunities for affordable housing where there is a lack of adequate standard affordable housing stock. The lack of affordable housing is an impediment to workforce recruitment.
Early childhood care for workforce caregivers
Support legislation for initiatives aimed at providing childcare facilities for workforce caregivers such as expanding tax credits for childcare, increasing funding and investing in professional early childhood education and workforce training.
The lack of early childhood daycare facilities is an impediment to workforce recruitment.
Local revenue flexibility
Seek legislation to provide municipalities with authority for additional locally controlled revenue options and flexibility in the use of those options including, but not limited to, city-only sales tax, city occupancy taxes, prepared meals taxes, and impact fees for transportation.
Powell Bill funds
Seek legislation to ensure that the amount of Powell Bill funds appropriated by the state are sustained and distributions to municipalities are increased and grow over time.
Economic development support
Support legislation to revise the current methods of determining economic needs that are used by the state to allocate funds so that additional areas of the state in need may benefit from increased economic development and jobs and see more entrepreneurial innovation.
