The Person County Board of Commissioners on June 6 approved a revised county organizational chart that places voters at the top and adds advisory boards to clarify reporting relationships. Commissioners also asked staff to study the governance relationship between the county and its Economic Development Commission and to return with options.

The revised chart replaces the label “citizens” with “voters” at the top of the graphic and places advisory boards appointed by the board of commissioners into a separate block to the right, emphasizing the appointment relationship. The county manager told the board the revision was intended to make clearer how elected officials and advisory bodies fit into county governance.

A separate governance question emerged during discussion: Commissioner Wilburn and others recalled a period in the 1980s and 1990s when the county’s local economic development function had a direct reporting relationship to an independent, board-appointed Economic Development Commission (EDC). Several commissioners asked staff to explore whether the county should revert to an arrangement in which the EDC has more direct oversight of the county economic-development director, rather than the position reporting to the county manager.

The board asked staff and the county attorney to review the EDC bylaws and to return to the board after the EDC meets on June 24; staff said it would come back with options and any legal implications for the July meeting cycle.

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“This will help show how your leaders are selected,” the county manager said when introducing the revised chart, noting the change intends to show how elected officials are positioned relative to advisory boards and departments.

What happens next

Staff will review the EDC bylaws and prepare a report on the governance options and any required bylaw or statutory changes; the board asked that staff present findings after the EDC’s June 24 meeting so the board can consider changes at its July meeting.

Ending

The board adopted the organizational chart for inclusion in the manager’s recommended budget document and directed staff to return with a governance review regarding the EDC at a future meeting.