May a county withdraw from a public health authority?

A county may withdraw from a multi-county public health authority when a majority of the county’s commissioners determines that the district is not operating in the best interests of health in that county. A public health authority may be dissolved upon a similar decision by the boards of commissioners of all the counties in the district. Withdrawal or dissolution may take place only after written notice is given to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Withdrawal or dissolution will only become effective at the end of the fiscal year in which the action of dissolution or withdrawal transpired.  A certified public accountant or an auditor certified by the Local Government Commission distributes surplus funds to the counties according to the percentage each of them contributed to the authority’s budget during the current fiscal year.

When an authority dissolves or when a county withdraws, any rules adopted by the public health authority board remain in effect in the county or counties involved until amended or repealed by the new authority board or boards of health governing the affected counties.

See G.S. 130A-45.2.