The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is an association of county commissioners and other county leaders from counties across the state – and this year the group’s most important meeting will be relatively easy to get to from every corner of the North Carolina because the very central county of Guilford County has won the honor of hosting the big event.
On Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21, the NCACC will hold the group’s first meeting of its new fiscal year, where new members of the large Board of Directors will take their seats and begin the associations’ work: collectively promoting the interests of the state’s counties, establishing the priorities of the counties for fiscal year 2023- 2024, tracking statistical data that helps county leaders, and deciding what issues the association will lobby state lawmakers in Raleigh the hardest on.
In addition to a host of executive officers, the association’s leadership consists of 18 district representatives on the Board of Directors as well as five at-large representatives. The organization’s leadership also includes the heads of steering committees and task forces, representatives of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and many other leaders with various responsibilities.
During the first all-important meeting in Guilford County next month, the association’s leadership will provide orientation for new directors as well as review the group’s policies and bylaws.
One Guilford County commissioner is particularly happy the meeting will be held in Guilford County – among other things because she won’t have far to travel. Commissioner Kay Cashion, now an at-large representative on the NCACC Board of Directors, will be reappointed to that seat.
Over the years, Cashion has served on that Board of Directors either as a district director or as a member of the NACo Board and liaison to the state. She has also chaired several commissions and, two years ago, was appointed co-chair of the statewide initiative “Every Commissioner Prepared,” which developed a training program so that county commissioners – especially those from small counties with limited staff – would be prepared before, during and after a disaster.
Whenever Guilford County hosts a large statewide meeting of government officials or government-adjacent officials, it usually means extra work for the Guilford County Clerk to the Board’s office and other county staff. However, county officials are usually very happy to host prominent statewide governmental events because it allows Guilford County government to make a good impression. Lately, Guilford County government has been working hard to try to elevate its reputation statewide and nationally.
This October meeting in Guilford County will be followed by three other NCACC Board of Directors meetings in the coming 12 months: in January in Wake County, in May in a yet-to-be determined location and in August in Forsyth County.
What will they learn? How to raise taxes and screw their citizens. Guilford county is excellent in doing that.