Rep. Melanie Wade Goodwin has not filed any spending bills.

The Richmond County Democrat has filed special appropriations bills in the past seeking money in the state budget for projects back home.

But she said there was no point in doing so in a year when the state budget is at least $2 billion short already. 

"Most of the folks who have contacted me say that we would love to have some funding, but we know it's a tough budget year, so we're not going to ask you to spend your time pursuing funds that are not going to be available," she said.

In a better budget year, Goodwin said she might have filed a bill requesting $2 million for a waterline to serve rural residents of Richmond County whose home wells have tested positive for pesticides. 

She said other legislators may be filing bills this year that they know won't pass as a "show of support" for a local project and to keep them in the discussion. 

The Republican gubernatorial candidates faced off for the last time Thursday.

Asked to describe the strengths and weaknesses of other candidates, state Sen. Fred Smith said Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory is "one of the slickest, coolest guys I know," the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.

"I  mean, he is Teflon Man," said Smith, who is a home developer. "If I had to pick somebody to go sell something for me, I’d like to hire him to sell my houses."

The five candidates also vowed to pay more attention to Western North Carolina, lower the rate of high school dropouts and protect private property rights.

Salisbury attorney Bill Graham won applause for saying the state should not monitor home wells.