Origins
Mecklenburg County was formed in 1762 from the western part of Anson County and the first official governmental action took place in February 1763.
The North Carolina State Constitution approved in 1868 gave the citizens of all counties the right to elect a Board of County Commissioners to govern them.
From 1868 to 1986, Mecklenburg County was governed by a five member board elected at-large. The first seven-member board took office in 1986 and in 1994, the first nine-member Board took office. Six members are elected by districts and three are elected at-large.
Elections for the Board are held in November of even-numbered years. The Board takes office on the first Monday in December following the November election. A chairman and vice chairman are elected at the Board's first meeting in December.
The Board's primary responsibilities are to adopt an annual budget, set a property tax rate and establish priorities to address the County's needs, especially in the areas of health, education, welfare and mental health.
Who is my Commissioner?
Management
The Board's priorities are carried out by a staff of nearly five-thousand employees led by County Manager Dena Diorio. The County Manager is the CEO of the organization and is appointed by the Board.
County Services
County Services are funded through property taxes, local sales taxes, fees and other sources, are provided to meet the community's priorities as defined by the Board of County Commissioners.
Vision
The Board has set a vision for the community. The Board's vision is summed up in the following statement:
"Mecklenburg County will be a community of pride and choice
for people to LIVE, LEARN, WORK and RECREATE."
Mecklenburg County uses a scorecard to translate its vision to action.
The Community & Corporate Scorecard includes 21 measureable goals. These goals are grouped into four related areas, called Focus Areas. All programs and services provided by Mecklenburg County fall into one of these
Focus Areas:
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Community Health & Safety
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Effective & Efficient Government
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Social, Education & Economic Opportunity
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Sustainable Community