Newly-elected County Commissioners

Congratulations on your successful election as a county commissioner! The UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners have partnered to offer you a course on the essentials of county government. In this course, we will introduce newly-elected commissioners to the essential functions of county government and the governing board's role. In short, we are here to help you successfully transition from campaigning to governing.

This year, we are offering two learning experiences:

· Free information pre-session; no advance registration required

· Essentials of County Government; course registration required

Pre-session:

From Campaigning to Governing: What a Newly-Elected Commissioner Needs to Know in the First 30 Days

We are pleased to invite all newly-elected county commissioners (and any seasoned commissioners who wish to join) to a free, informative one-hour Zoom webinar.

This session will provide valuable insights and practical guidance on transitioning from the campaign trail to effective governance. Join us as experienced professionals share best practices, key responsibilities, and critical resources that will empower you to hit the ground running in your new role. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with fellow commissioners and gain the tools you need for a successful start.

Date: 2025: TBD

Time: TBD

Location: Online via Zoom  

How to Join: Anytime up until the meeting, provide your name and email to this Zoom form (TBD), and a link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you.  

Essentials of County Government course: What to expect

 In-person: The program will run approx. 8:30am-4:30pm on Thursday-Friday

Who should attend the course: We encourage your newly elected officials to attend with their county manager and or county attorney. Counties with strong clerk relationships would also benefit from attending together.

County Government: Roles and Responsibilities. Watch a lively mock board meeting to learn the dos and don’ts of working as a board and transacting business in the public spotlight. Through interactive activities, participants also learn about the roles and responsibilities of the board and individual board members and explore the board’s relationship to professional staff. Participants can build essential communication and relationship-building skills to help you interact more effectively within county government and with the legislature, your constituents, and the media.

Finances, Budgets, and Fiduciary Duty. What are the top-ten financial management principles every county commissioner should know? What are county funding requirements? What should you expect from your first budget process? How does a board carry out its fiduciary duties? Participants can engage in small group discussions and learn how to approach and respond to common financial issues.

Ethics, Conflicts of Interest, and Open Government. Finally, the course will focus on essential limitations on board members and their legal and ethical responsibilities. Commissioners will explore public records and open meetings requirements and learn practical techniques to operate effectively in an open government environment. They will also participate in the statutorily required two-hour ethics training.

LELA Level:   Local elected officials become members of the Local Elected Leaders Academy upon completion of Essentials of County/Municipal Government. This is a 101 Level course in the Local Elected Leaders Academy. Elected officials who attend this class will earn 12 credits towards the Practitioner recognition certificate.