Strategies and Roles

The following represents the strategic plan established by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners for Mecklenburg County government's contribution to a safe, healthy, livable, prosperous, well-governed and unified community.

Safe Community

Goal: Make our citizens and community safer. Take a leadership role in reducing the crime rate and helping the criminal justice system work more effectively.

Strategies:
The following strategies provide the direction to make Mecklenburg County a Safe Community:

• Meet jail and detention space needs for adults and juveniles. Develop options for housing adults and juveniles, and reducing the need for detention space.
• Develop and aggressively support a legislative package that addresses the needs of the local judiciary.
• Identify, increase and strengthen legal, social, and economic initiatives to prevent violence in the home, workplace, and community.
• Target specific ways to bring about early intervention in order to reduce patterns of criminal behavior among youthful offenders. Establish partnerships between courts, county and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to develop formal juvenile offender programs within the school curriculum.
• Continue working to develop a shared, integrated information system that will enable law enforcement, courts and human service agencies to make informed decisions by providing accurate, complete, timely information across agency and system boundaries.
• Use our resources effectively by coordinating social service, educational, recreational, political and criminal justice programs to address the needs of the entire community.

The achievement of these strategies requires broad collaboration between the Board of County Commissioners, numerous County departments, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and the state's court-related agencies (District Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office, Trial Court Administrator's Office, Superior/District Court officials, etc.).

Obviously the County departments in the Public Safety and Court Support Core Business are vital to the success of Safe Community initiatives. These departments are the Sheriff's Office, Court Services, and the Medical Examiner's Office. In addition, several other County departments contribute play a role toward the County's Safe Community endeavors, including the Department of Social Services, Area Mental Health, Public Health, Information Services & Technology, Women's Commission, Engineering & Building Standards, Cooperative Extension, and the County Attorney.

Role of County Government:

The County is statutorily responsible for certain aspects of the court system, including:

• Furniture and facilities for court related agencies
• Detention facilities
• Jury notification and expenses
• Staff and funding for process service

Mecklenburg County also provides support to the state agencies beyond that mandated by statute. In addition to the services provided directly by the Public Safety and Court Support Core Business, the County offers the following assistance to the court system:

• Additional staff, equipment and supplies for the District Attorney, Public Defender and Trial Court Administrator
• Enhanced automation and technology through the purchase of computers and software and the provision of technical support through Information Services and Technology.
• Funds for specific outside training and access to the County's Training Academy in areas of customer service, team building and computer skills for employees within State agencies
• Additional furniture, facilities and space not mandated by statute

Leadership Role of the Board of County Commissioners:

The County Commission provides leadership in the Safe Community area that will yield:

• Improved collaboration/communication between local, state and federal agencies.
• Early youth intervention programs to prevent juveniles from entering the system.
• Reduction in incidences of domestic, workplace and school violence.
• Improved use of technology.
• Adequate funding for current services.
• Successful capital improvement programs for court and detention facilities.
• A customer focused, model court system that works collaboratively with the County, City and State agencies to eliminate duplication among services and to address the needs of our citizens across system service areas.

Healthy Community

Goal: Help our younger, older, and disabled citizens enjoy healthy, successful and productive lives:

• Invest in our children and youth so that they may become productive, responsible members of our community; encourage parental involvement and responsibility.
• Provide high quality, cost-effective services to our growing population of aging and disabled citizens so they can remain as independent and productive as possible.
• Develop a community wide appreciation of preventive services.

Strategies:
The following strategies provide the direction to make Mecklenburg County a Healthy Community:

• Focus on the key concerns that emerge from the broad-based Community Health Assessment, now being developed by the Health Department, as part of the Healthy Carolinians plan.
• Set quantifiable objectives related to Healthy Carolinians, measure and publicize them annually.
• Commit to strengthening community partnerships for assessing health issues and developing plans to address those priorities. Commit to addressing the growing diversity of persons living in our community and their health issues.
• Reduce social isolation among older persons.
• In partnership with the State of North Carolina, health care providers, senior citizens, and others, develop a cost-effective plan to meet the long-term care needs of senior citizens in this community.
• Prepare an analysis of program and policy incentives and disincentives affecting parental responsibility for their children's health, and the favorable and unfavorable trends observed and documented in Mecklenburg County. Make recommendations for policy changes as needed.
• Educate the community about the relationship between good health, clean air and clean water, and recommit to meeting clean air and clean water goals.
• Successfully implement a locally operated system of care for behavioral health services.
• Continue to reduce the demand for alcohol and illegal drugs by supporting positive alternatives to at risk populations and to promote use of services for early identification and intervention of drug and alcohol problems.
• Wherever possible develop preventive programs to reduce costs of treatment in the future.
• In partnership with the State of NC, health care providers, senior citizens, and other appropriate agencies or individuals, develop community-based services designed to prevent and delay institutionalization.
• Develop initiatives that support care givers (Respite, support groups, networks, volunteer credits, etc.)

To carry out these strategies the Health and Human Services Core Business provides programs and services to ensure a Healthy Community. These departments are Public Health, Environmental Health, Department of Social Services, Mental Health, Substance Abuse & Developmental Disabilities, Veteran's Services, and Medic. Numerous other County departments contribute toward the implementation of the Healthy Community strategies, including Park & Recreation, Women's Commission, Cooperative Extension, and Environmental Protection.

Beyond the County departments involved in building a Healthy Community, there are many Citizen Advisory Committees involved in reviewing community health needs and programs. These citizen groups are the Human Services Council, Environmental Protection Commission, Park and Recreation Commission, Veterans Service Committee, Housing and Development Board, Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee, Nursing Home Advisory Committee, and Healthy Carolinians.

Role of County Government

The Health and Human Services Core Business encounters a host of statutory responsibilities for services to the citizens of Mecklenburg County. Services mandated by the state include, but are not limited to:

• Administering a variety of public assistance programs, including Work First, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Child & Adult Protective Services, Foster Care, Child Support Enforcement, and Welfare Fraud Prevention.
• Providing environmental health services, communicable disease control, and vital records registration.
• Delivering a variety of mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse services.

Mecklenburg County offers significant services beyond those required by state statute in an effort to better serve the needs of the community. For example, although there is no requirement for counties to provide or contract for emergency medical services, the quality care and quick response offered by Medic clearly promotes the County Commission's vision of a Healthy Community.

Leadership Role for Board of County Commissioners:

The following actions are available to the County Commission to promote the County's efforts toward a Healthy Community:

• Champion the broad-based Community Health Assessment by encouraging participation in the process and kicking off various stages of the Assessment.
• Ensure that the Health Department and other appropriate parties develop strategies and performance measures to address concerns raised in the Community Health Assessment.
• Identify neighborhood and community leaders to participate in community meetings on health-related matters.
• Determine if there are adequate financial and personnel resources devoted to health education and information efforts. Support a plan for increased leadership from the County's Public Health Department to addressing this area.
• Use the Office of the County Commission as a bully pulpit to protect the quality of air and water in Mecklenburg County.
• Direct staff to analyze the sufficiency of the current program of school health services and educate stakeholders as to gaps in needed service, opportunities for service improvements, and consequences of not addressing those gaps. Consider options for developing financial resources to address additional school health needs.

Liveable Community

Goal: Keep Mecklenburg County a good place to live by involving citizens in our community life and by protecting our physical environment.

Strategies:
The following strategies provide the direction to make Mecklenburg County a Livable Community:

• Collaborate with other jurisdictions locally and regionally to improve the quality of the environment.
• Support planning initiatives for Smart Growth.
• Review and support recommendations from the Environmental Summit and monitor for implementation.
• Educate the community about the relationship between good health, clean air and clean water, and recommit to meeting clean air and clean water goals.
• Closely monitor air quality, taking necessary steps to move Mecklenburg County towards compliance with federal standards relating to ozone and to maintain compliance with carbon monoxide standards.
• Strengthen the SWIM and storm water management programs to protect surface water from pollutants and to protect properties from the effects of flooding.
• Ensure that all residences using groundwater have a safe and potable water supply to minimize environmental hazards impacting public health.
• Proceed with plans to ensure the community has adequate facilities for the next 25 years to recycle and properly dispose of solid waste so as to protect the community's health and groundwater.
• Make certain future generations will have sufficient public open space, emphasizing land banking in the near term while land remains available and affordable.
• Promote healthy neighborhood life by providing sufficient libraries, parks and open space, and professionally supervised recreation and leisure activities throughout the community.
• Support a wide range of coordinated strategies that recognize distinct needs of different neighborhoods, design considerations of suburban areas, including defensible space methods, preservation of the character of the towns, and pedestrian connectivity.
• Support integrated transit and land use planning to ensure appropriate densities of development, land uses, and pedestrian connectivity in key transit corridors and near transit hubs for successful alternatives to automobile travel.
• Maintain a regulatory framework that is responsive to customers but assures public health, the safety of the public, and the quality of the environment.
• Educate and encourage citizens to take responsibility and become active in public policy from the neighborhood to the national level.

The strategies for a Livable Community encompass the quality of the natural and built environment for air, water, open space, and solid waste disposal; the quality of development in the community; the regulatory framework, and education and involvement of citizens as stewards of their community. To accomplish these strategies, the Land Use and Environmental Services  and Community Services Core Service Areas are primarily involved. Other core service areas of the County also contribute to achieving the goals of a Livable Community, along with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission and Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities. The Land Use and Environmental Services departments are:

• Engineering and Building Standards
• Land Development and Construction Regulations
• Construction Management for County Projects
• Storm Water Management
• Solid Waste Management
• Community Development and Minimum Housing Code Enforcement
• Environmental Protection
• Air Quality
• Surface Water Quality
• Solid Waste Enforcement and Groundwater Quality
• Environmental Health Division of the Department of Public Health
• Individual Water and Wastewater Systems
• Public Health Pest Control and Environmental Services
• Food and Facility Sanitation
• Historic Landmarks Commission

The Community Services departments are:

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library
• Cooperative Extension Service
• Elections
• Minority Affairs
• Park and Recreation
• Women's Commission

In addition to the County departments, a number of citizen advisory committees and statutory boards provide community input on Livable Community matters. A listing of these boards by core business area includes the following (statutory boards are indicated by an asterisk):

Land Use and Environmental Services:                

• Building Development Commission                                
• Environmental Protection Commission                          
• Fire Commission
• Historic Landmarks Commission*
• Housing and Development Committee
• Human Services Council
• Planning Commission
• Storm Water Advisory Committee
• Waste Management Advisory Board
• Zoning Board of Adjustment*

Community Services:

• Board of Elections*
• Minority Affairs Advisory Committee
• Domestic Violence Advisory Board
• Board of Trustees of the Public Library
• Park and Recreation Commission
• Women's Commission

Role of the County Government:
Through the Land Use and Environmental Service departments, Mecklenburg County focuses on the environment, growth, and economic development as key components of a Livable Community.

The County is responsible for enforcement of State building codes, State health statutes and regulations, and federal environmental regulations relating to air quality throughout the entire area of the County. Additionally, the County enforces locally adopted ordinances related to land planning, zoning, subdivision, sedimentation and erosion control, storm water, and SWIM buffers in the unincorporated areas. Locally adopted ordinances related to health issues (child day care homes, public swimming pools, residential swimming pools, mosquito control, rat control, rabies and other zoonoses, air quality) are also enforced. The County also serves as the enforcement agent for other jurisdictions based on interlocal agreements for zoning, storm water and SWIM.

In addition to enforcement, these departments also provide direct services to the community and County government. These include solid waste disposal facilities, storm water services, construction project management, community development, historic designations, historic preservation, rabies prevention, public health education, and environmental laboratory support.

The work of the Land Use and Environmental Services departments in providing all of these services is primarily funded by fees.

The Community Services departments are primarily involved in providing informational, educational, recreational and leisure opportunities to the community. These departments also contribute to a Livable Community by conducting citizen outreach and stressing citizen participation in government. The efficient operation of the election process is a primary component of this latter effort.

Leadership Role of the Board of County Commissioners:

The Board of County Commissioners has the opportunity to serve as a catalyst for collaboration on environmental issues. Previously, the Board has exercised this opportunity through actions such as developing a community-wide solid waste management plan (except for one town), implementing a coordinated approach to storm water management, structuring a plan for drinking-water watershed protection, funding an environmental summit, developing SWIM guidelines, and initiating the Smart Growth Roundtable.

Air, water, and habitat do not know jurisdictional boundaries. The vast majority of the environmental activities needed to continue to preserve and restore the environment cannot be undertaken on an individual municipality's level. Because of the Board's countywide perspective, the County should continue its leadership role in coordinating environmental and Smart Growth initiatives.

Prosperous Community

Goal: Keep our local economy strong and viable, and strive to assure that all share in this economic prosperity.

Strategies:
The following strategies provide the direction to make Mecklenburg County a Prosperous Community:

• Make certain we have a prepared workforce that can sustain our economic growth, taking a leadership role in building partnerships among Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, surrounding towns, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Central Piedmont Community College, the general community, and other agencies to ensure a viable community.
• Ensure the County is ready to respond to potential opportunities for shared economic development by: a) collaborating with the City of Charlotte, neighboring towns and counties, chambers of commerce, and the Carolinas Partnership, (b) recognizing the importance of customer service in our regulatory agencies, and (c) fostering communication with participants in the development process.
• Successfully implement welfare reform so that families are self-sufficient with basic food, clothing, and shelter needs met via their earnings, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and essential supports such as subsidized, quality child care.
• Reduce the incidence of poverty among younger, older, and disabled persons. In particular, help single heads of household to remain in the workforce through such means as expanded child care options, Work First, transportation, and other means.
• Reduce social isolation among older and disabled persons.
• Reduce the incidence of sub-standard housing in the community by expanding opportunities for adequate and affordable housing.
• Support the work of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Development Corporation to reach into neglected and abandoned areas of the county to enable them to participate in the economic vitality being enjoyed by other parts of the community.
• Consider the impact on inner city and inner suburban neighborhoods when making land use and "smart growth" decisions. Encourage redevelopment of abandoned shopping malls by the private sector, and consider their utility for local governmental purposes.
• Continue to support the development of library branches that are conveniently located to our citizens and that offer internet access, so that those citizens who do not have access from home have opportunities to develop the computer literacy skills that are essential in today's economy.
• Continue to support the expansion of mass transit, and a land use plan that emphasizes development along the proposed transit corridors, to enable those without private automobiles to get to work, and to relieve some of the traffic congestion that may strangle continued economic growth in the county.
• Encourage the development of mixed income housing so that lower and middle income wage earners can afford to live and work in Mecklenburg, rather than move to one of the surrounding counties.
• Support high quality subsidized childcare so that our children will be better in the workplace.
• Take a leadership role in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Resolves II in building partnerships to meet the needs of children, families, and neighborhoods to ensure a productive future for the entire community.

The achievement of the Prosperous Community strategies encompass education, economic development, welfare reform, poverty, and homelessness. The Health and Human Services Core Service Area, especially the Department of Social Services, is primarily responsible for these activities.

Role of County Government:

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is responsible for administering the State's Work First program for TANF-eligible families. DSS is partnered with other County departments, such as Area Mental Health (AMH). AMH provides drug and domestic violence screenings at DSS, and provides treatment services as well. The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, under DSS contract, markets the Work First program. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools operates after-school programs for TANF and at-risk youth. Goodwill Industries operates the Cars-to-Work program. There are many other examples of the County's partnerships with other agencies and organizations to achieve the objectives of a Prosperous Community.

Leadership Role of the Board of County Commissioners:

The County Commission can provide leadership to promote the County's Prosperous Community objectives by considering the recommendations and plans of Advantage Carolina, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce's effort to capitalize on our economic advantages to ensure continued prosperity for the County and the region. Advantage Carolina will have recommendations regarding public school reform, workforce development, and affordable housing, among other areas.

Well-Governed Community

GOAL: Maintain our commitment to the pursuit of excellence and make certain that County Government always serves its citizens efficiently and effectively.

Strategies:
The following strategies provide the direction to make Mecklenburg County a Well-Governed Community:

• Use of best practices to preserve Mecklenburg County's tradition of good government.
• Be proactive in developing direct, two-way communications with citizens regarding County programs and services.
• Maximize the potential use of technology through applications that make government work better and give citizens access to information and service and to leverage technology to reduce dependence on human resources.
• Deal effectively with growth by coordinating efforts with other entities in the region.
• Use resources more efficiently by joint use and planning with City and Schools.
• Encourage citizens to take more responsibility and become more active in the public policy process.
• Plan and complete infrastructure improvements to meet the increasing service and operational needs of the County and its citizens.

Role of County Government:

The combined services of the County's seven core businesses work in concert to provide for a Well-Governed Community. There are two specific core businesses, however, that have chief responsibility for setting the direction of County government and providing the internal support necessary for County government to meet its objectives.

The Policy Development and Management Support Services Core Business provides the foundation for a Well-Governed Community by (a) establishing, administering, interpreting, and monitoring policy; and (b) managing the fiscal, human and legal resources of County government. The departments that comprise this core business are the Commissioners and Manager's Office, Finance, Budget, Legal, Human Resources and Internal Audit.

Corporate Support Services strives for a Well-Governed Community through the cost-effective planning and management of the resources and assets of Mecklenburg County government in the areas of communications, technology, information and records, facilities, vehicles and the assessment and collection of taxes and fees. The departments that comprise this core business are Public Service and Information, Clerk to the Board, General Services, Information Services and Technology, and Register of Deeds.

Of the twelve departments within these core businesses, two provide for large funding streams to support County government: Tax Administrator and Register of Deeds. The remaining ten departments deliver internal services directly to the rest of the organization. Service levels and departments within the Policy Development and Management Support Services and Corporate Support Services are not mandated.

It is important to note that although some department heads are not appointed by the County Manager, all of them are organized under our core business structure and participate on our management team.

Elected Officials include:
· Sheriff
· Register of Deeds

Officials Appointed by Administrative Boards include:
· Library Director
· Elections Director

Department Directors Appointed by BOCC include:
· Finance Director
· Clerk to the Board
· Tax Administrator
· DSS Director
· AMH, DD & SA Director
· Health Director
· Cooperative Extension Director

Leadership Role of the Board of County Commissioners:

The chief role of the Board of County Commissioners is to set local policies and direction that guide County government. County staff role is to administer operations based on the framework set by the Board. Leadership opportunities for the broader leadership role of the Board of County Commissioners include:

• Identifying and maximizing revenue sources
• Balancing debt with capital needs to maintain high credit rating
• Initiating and actively participating in consolidation (functional and political)
• Supporting regional approaches to many issues
• Taking the lead in intra-county collaboration
• Developing legislative programs and actively pursuing those programs
• Being a leader in use of technology
• Adopting policies to have fair and equitable tax values
• Working with State Federal Agencies

Unified Community

Goal: Build community unity, addressing issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and diversity.

Strategies:
The following strategy provides the direction to make Mecklenburg County a Unified Community:

• Foster a broad-scale commitment from all segments of our community to address issues of race, gender, ethnicity, and diversity.

The strategy for a Unified Community relates to race relations and valuing diversity within the community. The Minority Affairs Office and Women's Commission of the Community Services Core Business serve in key coordinating roles; however, all Core Businesses are involved in achieving this strategy.

Direct Services Role of the County
The County models the strategy for a Unified Community through its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program for recruitment, development and education of a diverse workplace. Additionally, the County models through its Minority and Women's Business Enterprises (MWBE) program for purchasing and contracting. All of the County's core businesses provide services throughout the community, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or other diversity issues. Departments of the County also advocate on behalf of services for people of color and women.

Leadership Role of the Board of County Commissioners
The Board of County Commissioners, as the governing body elected by all people of the Mecklenburg County, plays an important role relating to a unified community. The Board previously sponsored the Community Building Initiative which fostered a greater degree of dialogue in the community. Ongoing support for the Community Building Initiative and other dialogues on issues of race, ethnicity, understanding and acceptance is important.

With the challenges presented by the federal court decision relating to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the Board also plays a key role through its response to issues of equity in schools.

Ongoing challenges face the County as we grow increasingly diverse racially and economically. The Board serves an important role in the conscience of the community and in spurring dialogue, understanding, and acceptance.