Local Government Fundamentals

About

As the largest
university-based local
government training,
advisory, and research
organization in the United
States, the School of
Government serves more
than 12,000 public officials
each year.

Browse by Role

The School provides
content and resources for a
wide array of local
government and judicial
officials in North Carolina.

Select your role to explore
all related content.

Browse by Topic

The School provides content
and resources on a wide array
of topics in local government
and judicial administration in
North Carolina.

Select a topic to explore all
related content.

Courses

The School of Government
offers up to 200 courses,
workshops, webinars, and
professional conferences
each year.

Publications

The School of Government
publishes essential books,
manuals, reports, articles,
bulletins, and other print and
online content related to state
and local government.

Blogs

Faculty write for a number
of School of Government
blogs providing timely
updates on emerging issues.

Resources

The School of Government
offers information and
services related to a wide
range of topics relevant to
government and judicial
officials—in-person and on a
variety of platforms.

Blog Posts

Timely updates on emerging issues

Centers and Services

Specialized training/research hubs and consulting services

Frequently Asked Questions

Aggregated answers to common questions on a variety of topics

Knapp Library

Print and online materials and research expertise

Legal Summaries

Brief descriptions of legal cases, bills, or legislative activity

Listservs

Information exchanges for peers and faculty experts

Microsites

In-depth or aggregated content for local government and judicial officials

Tools and Apps

Online and mobile tools for employees on-the-go

Master of Public
Administration Program

The UNC MPA program prepares public service leaders. The program is offered in two formats: on-campus and online.

For more information, visit mpa.unc.edu

Giving

The School of Government depends on private and public support for fulfilling its mission. Your gift will make a lasting impact on the quality of government and civic participation in North Carolina.

Knapp Library

The Joseph Palmer Knapp Library houses a large collection of material on state and local government, public administration, and management to support the School's instructional and research programs and the educational mission of the Master of Public Administration program. Reference and research services are available to all residents of North Carolina, and additional assistance is available to state and local government personnel, both elected and appointed.

Local Government Fundamentals

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The School of Government will keep your information in order to contact you about courses you may be interested in. We will never give or sell your information to an outside source.

NOTE: Because our February course was moved online, we are excited to offer it in person on October 1, 2025. This course is appropriate for employees with up to five years of experience in local government and/or newly elected public officials.

Are you new to working in local government? Have you transitioned into a new position? If so, this course may be right for you. Local Government Fundamentals covers the laws and concepts pertinent to county and municipal government. This course aims to help those who work in local government feel more confident in their understanding of how local governments function at a fundamental level.

The course includes six sessions that cover the following areas:

Local Government Authority, Purpose, and Structure
Local Government in Action: Ordinances, Resolutions, and Policies
Open Meeting and Public Records
Introduction to the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act
Local Government Contracting
Ethics and Conflicts of Interest

No continuing education credits are available for this course.

This course is also offered on demand.

Scholarship Information

Civic Local Foundation Scholarship

Members of Civic Federal Credit Union (Civic) and Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), who are local government employees, are eligible to apply for a scholarship towards tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:

March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)

Visit the Civic Foundation for more information and to submit an application

There currently are no scheduled offerings of this course.

All course materials and other logistical details will be provided in Canvas, a learning management system. If you have already set up an account for this or another School of Government course, log in to Canvas. If you need to create an account, learn how to setup Canvas here.

October 2025 Agenda is now available!

For all registration questions, resetting passwords, or login issues please contact: