House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Revises the proposed changes to GS 159-12 pertaining to budget hearing requirements under the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act as follows.

Maintains the existing requirement for local governments to hold a public hearing prior to adopting the budget ordinance, eliminating the proposed requirement to hold two hearings prior to adoption. Instead, requires, in each fiscal year the local government is on the unit assistance list and the fiscal year after removal, only the governing board of a unit on the assistance list must hold an additional public hearing on a separate date. Requires the previously specified revenue information to be provided at one of the required public hearings. Limits the proposed notice requirements for instances when the proposed budget ordinance raises the ad valorem property tax rate, raises the rates charged by a public enterprise fund, or transfers any amount from the general fund to the public enterprise fund, to governing boards of units on the unit assistance list only. More specifically requires notice for increases in ad valorem property tax rates be sent to affected property owners (was, property owners in the jurisdiction of the board). For required notices related to the public enterprise fund, requires notice to each periodically billed customer of the fund rather than each user of the fund, and allows for notice on or with any periodic billing addressed to the customer of record. Specifies that a raise in rates includes an increase in the rate charged and an increase in base rates of a public enterprise fund (was, increase in rate charged and base rates). Eliminates the proposed exception for local governments with a population of less than 2,000 from the two-hearing requirement. Eliminates the proposed requirement for the Local Government Commission, when exercising its enforcement authority under GS 159-181(c) or (d) (pertaining to certain instances when the Commission has the authority to impound the books and records of a local government or local government water/sewer system) to hold a public hearing with previously proposed requirements. 

Makes organizational changes. Changes the act's titles.