The key problem in North Carolina is high state taxes. The income tax structure is very flat but set at a very high rate. One can pay more to NC than to the Feds (though that may change over the next few years). The high local taxes keep business out, the Laffer Curve having never made it into UNC business school curricula apparently. And they keep raising the rates.
So, they offer sweetheart deals that always end up being cesspools of corruption (surprize, surprize). Just lowering tax rates never seems to occur to the meatheads in Raleigh or many of the county seats. Not sure how to get them to see sense.