The John Locke Foundation research staff hosted 40 county commissioners at a County Commissioner Policy Workshop on Saturday, February 26, in Raleigh. The response from the commissioners was fantastic. A great cross-section of commissioners and counties participated. Commissioners attended from the western counties including Cherokee, the northeastern counties including Camden and everywhere in between. We also had commissioners from both parties, which made for interesting and meaningful discussions of the important issues that confront county government in North Carolina.
Additionally, large, urban counties such as Mecklenburg and small, rural counties such as Camden were represented.
Presentations included solutions to the current county budget crises, controlling school budgets, land use planning that protects property rights, and economic growth, not economic incentives.
The discussions were lively and stimulating. When asked on the evaluation if the workshop met his expectations, one commissioner responded, "exceeded!" Another commissioner responded with, "Thank you for this most informative and what could be transformational for some commissioners." Still another replied, "This was helpful and great!"
To make this workshop more accessible to more commissioners, we are planning regional workshops in the western and eastern parts of the state. Please watch your email for dates and locations.
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