President's Perspective
Program is essential for county leaders

Public officials in North Carolina are blessed with a resource that our counterparts in other states do not enjoy – the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

President's Perspective By Breeden Blackwell President's Perspective Archive

The SOG has a simple mission – “to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government” – that it accomplishes in a variety of ways.

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners works closely with the SOG to develop training and educational opportunities for county officials. SOG faculty played a crucial role in devising the curriculum for last spring’s highly successful conference on economic development, held in Moore County. SOG faculty also conducted or participated in many workshops at the Association’s 97th Annual Conference in Buncombe County. In recent years, SOG faculty have made numerous presentations to the NCACC Board of Directors on topics of interest to county officials.

This winter, the NCACC and the SOG will jointly develop what is perhaps the most important educational opportunity for county commissioners. “Leading and Governing: Essentials of County Government” is an intensive, four-day program that provides an introduction to North Carolina county government for both experienced and newly elected commissioners. This year’s session will be held at four locations across the state beginning in December.

The school will provide an overview of county government fundamentals and the challenges that commissioners will face while in office. Presenters will lead discussions on: transitioning from campaigning to governing; fulfilling the public responsibilities of a commissioner; and the key elements of county law, finance and administration.

In addition, an “Orientation for County Board Chairs” will be held at three of the locations on Dec. 14, Jan. 4 and Jan. 18 from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The programs will provide chairs with tools and strategies to lead their county boards more effectively.

The Association and the SOG have been putting on these programs for years. In the past, the program was geared toward newly elected commissioners. In 2001, the NCACC Board of Directors voted to authorize the faculty at the SOG to greatly expand the program content. As the title implies, the revised curriculum is now aimed at all county commissioners, both new and veteran, as well as managers, clerks and attorneys.

As we all know, the demands being placed on county governments today are increasing in number and complexity. As more and more citizens stream into our state, counties must build more schools to accommodate the increasing number of children who need to be educated and must provide more services for the increasing number of retirees who are now calling North Carolina home.

It is difficult for commissioners, many of whom work other full-time jobs and have busy personal lives, to keep up with the constantly changing landscape that is county government. That is why our partners at the SOG are such a valuable resource, and why it is imperative that all commissioners – not just the newly elected ones who will take office in December – learn the essentials of county government.

For more information on the Essentials of County Government programs, contact Monica Glover at the School of Government at (919) 843-6518.