Essentials of County Government

Due to Hurricane Helene, we postponed our Western Carolina offering, originally scheduled for December 12-13, 2024, to February 19-20, 2025.

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

 

New this year, 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: December 5, 2024

Time: 8:30am-9:30am

Location: Online via Zoom  

How to Join: Anytime up until the meeting, provide your name and email to this Zoom form, 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.  

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend LELA courses. For information on this discount please click the link below.

  • New Bern, NC
    January 16 - 17, 2025
    Riverfront Convention Center of Craven County
    203 S Front St
    New Bern, NC 28560
    View Scholarship Information

    The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend LELA courses. For information on this discount please click the link below.

    View Cancellation Policy
    Course participants who cancel their registration on or before January 08, 2025 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after January 09, 2025, but you will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. Click here to view the School’s full cancellation and refund policy.
    View Hotel Information

    Essentials of County Government New Bern at Courtyard by Marriott
    Hotel Check In: Wedneday, January 15, 2025
    Hotel Check Out: Friday, January 17, 2025

    • Courtyard New Bern for 179.00 USD per night

    Book your group rate for Essentials of County Government New Bern

    • Last day to book: Saturday, December 28, 2024

    In order to be state tax-exempt, send a E-595E Form plus letter with tax exempt number to reg.poteat@marriott.com

    • This must be done prior to check in on January 8th to qualify for state tax exemption


    $350.00
    Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.
  • Winston Salem, NC
    January 23 - 24, 2025
    Winston Salem Marriott
    425 N. Cherry St
    Winston Salem, NC 27101
    View Scholarship Information

    The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend LELA courses. For information on this discount please click the link below.

    View Cancellation Policy
    Course participants who cancel their registration on or before January 15, 2025 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after January 16, 2025, but you will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. Click here to view the School’s full cancellation and refund policy.
    View Hotel Information

    Winston-Salem Marriott

    Online reservations can be made with this link:
    Booking Link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1725633940145&key=GRP&guestreslink2=true

    Reservation deadline: 08 January 2025

    $350.00
    Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.
  • Asheville, NC
    February 19 - 20, 2025
    Embassy Suites Asheville Downtown
    192 Haywood St
    Asheville, NC 28801
    View Scholarship Information

    The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend LELA courses. For information on this discount please click the link below.

    View Cancellation Policy
    Course participants who cancel their registration on or before February 11, 2025 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after February 12, 2025, but you will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. Click here to view the School’s full cancellation and refund policy.
    View Hotel Information

    Embassy Suites by Hilton - Asheville Downtown
    192 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801

    Group member reservations can be made by calling
    Front Desk Reservations: 1-(828) 407-0422 and referencing SRP Code: 920
    - OR -
    Online Reservation can be made with this link:
    Reservation Deadline: 1.19.2025
    $350.00
    Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.
For all registration questions, resetting passwords, or login issues please contact:

Dale Zuckert

Assistant Registrar
919.966.4414
For questions regarding course details, including location, schedule, materials, and continuing education credits, please contact:

Jennifer Fulton

Program Manager, Management, Administration, and Leadership Group
919.962.3609
Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government; Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
Manager of Elected Official Programming, Center for Public Leadership and Governance