Pushing the legislature to continue to allow cities and towns to retain local control is among Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe's goals for the next year.

Holcombe has been selected the new president of the Wake County Mayor's Association. At the group's next meeting Dec. 19, she will take over from Knightdale Mayor Russell Killen.

Her duties will include setting the agenda for the monthly meetings and helping present the group's legislative agenda to the Wake County delegation of state senators and representatives.

"Certainly one of the things I am going to advocate is for municipalities not to lose the local authority we have," Holcombe said.

The association, which represents the mayors in the county's 12 municipalities, has been talking about the issue for the past year. Two bills currently before the General Assembly concern municipalities' local control.

House Bill 281 sought to eliminate extraterritorial planning jurisdictions, or ETJs, when countywide zoning was in place. In areas where countywide zoning was in place, residents of ETJs would be allowed to run for municipal office and vote in elections.

The N.C. League of Municipalities spoke out against the bill, saying it would encourage haphazard growth, create taxation without representation and lead to election confusion. For example, ETJ residents, who are not required to pay municipal property taxes, would be allowed to vote in elections and serve on the council. They could therefore set residential tax rates that they would not have to pay, according to the league. In June, the bill was referred to the rules and operations Senate committee.

The other bill that could have an impact on local control is SB731, which restricts when a municipality can put aesthetic restrictions in place, regulating things such as color palettes, building heights and construction materials. This bill has also been referred to a committee.

Holcombe said she's looking forward to the new post.

"It's a good group," she said. "We may not always agree politically, but to a person, you can always find good advice about how to help your town."

Holcombe's new position could also help Morrisville in other ways.

"It certainly gives higher visibility for the town of Morrisville," she said.

"We felt like she could do a good job," said Robert Matheny, mayor of Zebulon. "She's been faithfully attending the meetings and an active participant."

Matheny was on the nominating committee to fill the annual presidential slot for the association. In a group with a lot of long-term mayors, Holcombe was one of the few who had not had a chance to serve in the position.