HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-08-2000 - 2. 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
...ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT.
Meeting Date.: February. 8,2000
Action Agenda
.Item No. 2
SUBJECT: Rotation of Officers on Boards of County Commissioners in North Carolina
DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLlC HEARING: (YIN) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Summary Report Greg Wilder., ext 231:4
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To report to the Board of County Commissioners on rotation of officers' practices
for boards of county commissioners in other North Carolina counties.
BACKGROUND: At the Board's January 20, 2000 retreat, the Board requested that staff
investigate practices present in other North. Carolina counties regarding the selection process
for board of commissioner officers.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None at this time:
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the report as
information..
a -,
SUMMARY. REPORT
ON ROTATION OF OFFICERS FOR BOARDS OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS IN NORTH CAROLINA
Inquiries made to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and
the Institute of Government have yielded. information indicating that very few boards of
county commissioners in North Carolina follow any type of alternative rotation selection
schedule or process for the designation of board officers.: An overwhelming majority.
(over 90%) follow the process of election of chair and vice-chair on an annual basis by
the members of the board.
Far those few counties that do incorporate some type of alternative process for
officers differing from the annual "election-by-the-members standard", the following
information is presented.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY -.During the filing period and as part of the actual election,
& SWAIN COUNTY candidates can file and declare themselves either as i)
candidates for chair of the board or 2) as general candidates
for the board. If a candidate for chair has the highest vote
total among those persons filing and running for chair, then
that individual serves as chair for four years. (Note; All
commissioners, including the chair, serve concurrent four-
vear terms.) If an individual has filed as a candidate for
chain and finishes with the second highest vote total among
the candidates. for chair, then that individual fails to win
seat on the board regardless of whether or not he or she may
happen to have received more votes than any other
candidates for the board. Regarding the general candidates
for the board, the individuals with the highest vote totals win
seats based on the number of total seats on the board. No
vice chair is ever elected or chosen by any process.
YANCEY COUNTY - Same as Buncombe and Swain counties except that chair and
commissioners serve two-year concurrent terms. No vice
chair is ever elected or chosen by any process.
JACKSON COUNTY - Same as Buncombe and Swain counties except that the Chair
also serves as a full-time officer of the county (This
individual serves as the County Manager, for lack of a better
title. Jackson County is the only county in the state which.
does not "officially" have a County Manager.) No vice chair
is ever elected or chosenby any process.
The process for electing the Chair as noted .above is authorized in NC G.S. 153A-58.
SEVERAL COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE - Although not specifically written
down in any instance that anyone is
aware, some counties have the
standard practice that the candidate
..for the board having the highest vote
total of each election serves as chair
for at least the year immediately
following the election. Some of these '
also choose to re-elect the same
individual as chair for a second
year. In others,. the chair position for
the second year. appears to be open. to
the wishes of the board: Nothing, as
far as anyone is aware, is actually
documented in written form
regarding these practices.. The vice
chair is elected on an annual basis
by majority vote ofthe-members of
the board:
Sources Contacted:
Robert Hester, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
Rebecca Troutman, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
David Lawrence, Institute of Government
Fleming Bell, Institute of Government
Kurt Jenne, Institute of Government