Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

64 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 direct funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and through state funding that came about as a result of ARPA funding. The organization has also been critical in providing resources to member cities and towns regarding how that funding will work and the requirements once it is received. Meanwhile, we continue to provide a range of other services related to legal assistance, insurance needs, and operational and financial administrative help. 4. HOW DID COMMUNITIES NEED TO ADAPT TO KEEP BUILDING THROUGHOUT THE CRISIS? The pandemic brought both health and financial challenges early on. As people limited activities, cities faced losses in various revenues – especially hotel occupancy and restaurant meals taxes, and water and sewer fees – that affected the ability to deliver services. As time went on, though, local officials turned their focus toward the future and future economic growth. The American Rescue Plan Act dollars and state funding made additional investments in water, sewer, streets and downtown redevelopment possible, investments that form the foundation of business and job growth. City officials pushed forward with these types of infrastructure investments knowing that it is the key to continuing economic growth. Even before passage of the ARPA, municipalities in the state continued to work on comprehensive plans focused on business revitalization in their downtown and other areas, trying to build on successes that were occurring prior to the pandemic. 5. WHY SHOULD NEW FAMILIES, BUSINESSES OR DEVELOPERS LOOK TO NORTH CAROLINA? North Carolina cities and towns are as diverse as any in the country, and in every way – from their geography to their demographics to their economies to their individual visions. We enjoy picturesque mountain towns that thrive as tourist communities, large bustling cities that are high-tech job centers, and