Who has the authority to appoint the local health director?

The authority to appoint the local health director varies by type of local public health agency. For a county or district health department, the local health director is appointed by the local board of health after consultation with all applicable boards of county commissioners. Although the board must consult with the commissioners, the commissioners are not required to approve the appointment.[1] The same procedure is followed by a public health authority board when it appoints the public health authority director.[2] A consolidated human services agency director is appointed by the county manager with the advice and consent of the consolidated human services board.[3]

If the county commissioners have abolished the board of health and assumed direct control of the health department pursuant to G.S. 153A-77(a), then the commissioners have all the powers and duties of the local board of health, including the power to appoint the local health director. This is the only circumstance in which the county commissioners may directly appoint the local health director.