NCLM Southern City Volume 71, Issue 4, 2021-22

SOUTHERN CITY QUARTER 4 2021 18 BEN BROWN NCLM Communications & Multimedia Specialist Catching Up with Senator Mike Lazzara THE FORMER JACKSONVILLE MAYOR PRO TEM AND PAST LEAGUE PRESIDENT ON HIS FRESHMAN LEGISLATIVE SERVICE. Michael Lazzara is one of the most familiar faces to the League in recent history. He served an extended term as League president while mayor pro tem of Jacksonville, emceed numerous events and conference sessions for gatherings of municipalities, oversaw various internal and external issues on the League’s board of directors, and spent valuable time with mayors, council members, and appointed municipal staffers to absorb just how diverse North Carolina’s array of cities and towns actually is. But, at the end of the day, mayors and other leaders embrace similar goals— good livelihoods, strong infrastructure, opportunities for growth, a pleasant quality of life, and so on for their fellow residents. It’s this experience that gives Lazzara, now Senator Lazzara, a special set of eyes as he navigates the General Assembly and how it crafts solutions for the people. Southern City was fortunate to catch up with him just prior to the Thanksgiving break. ˘˘˘ How has your experience as a municipal leader affected your experience as a state legislator? ML: I think my prior experience, having been elected leader in local government, and actually my work and involvement with the League, has certainly made it an easier transition and a more productive transition. Because understanding local government and statewide issues as it relates to the issues and the people that we serve certainly gives you a different perspective when it comes to legislation and budget, of course. Have there been occasions where you feel specifically that your municipal service has helped you to vet a bill or sift through language? ML: Absolutely. There have been numerous bills, out of the 1,700 bills that were filed between the House and Senate, as it relates to regulatory issues, inspection issues, permitting issues, things that relate to local governments and having been there I think I’ve brought a valuable voice to concerns over particular language— and education: finding that balance between overreach and building sustainable communities that require zoning and laws that help maintain those valuable communities. Do you feel a greater presence of municipal experience in the legislature? There are some other past mayors and city officials serving as legislators. ML: I think there is, and it seems to be gaining some traction as new members come in. There’s a great deal of value that comes from having that background, to truly understand how citizens are impacted by legislation that affects them directly, through local government. I think it’s important to know what that is and how they’re affected directly by a particular law change. A good example is the amount needed before you have to hire a general contractor on renovations, and I could go on and on, but again there’s two sides to every coin. You know, if you live in a coastal area where you’re susceptible to a lot of storms, a lot of outof-town folks come in to take advantage of people. So, in that landscape, having that oversight is really important to protect the people that are homeowners. And maybe in the mid to west side of the state, you’re not as susceptible. Again, it’s really trying to find that balance … and making sure that we know how it impacts the actual people that we serve. It occurs to me as you’re talking about this that the nonpartisan nature of municipal government may be a great way to become versed in talking policy with people on different issues without party being the focus. ML: In the 15 years that I was in local government—we had Republicans and Democrats on council—but I don’t ever remember there being a partisan vote. When you talk about water and sewer infrastructure, recreation, it really is nonpartisan at the local level. But I think bringing that sort of negotiating attitude to the General Assembly certainly helps navigating with our counterparts there, and I think it’s helped tremendously in terms of getting along with the other side of the aisle and building relationships. Because, at the end of the day, we serve the same people—and generally people want the same things, whether you’re partisan or nonpartisan. A lot of the people that we serve want low taxes, they want good education, they want quality of life, they want a good business economy, they want all the basic things that I really truly believe Photo credits: Ben Brown

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