The School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership and Governance and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, have partnered to offer our biennial school for newly elected municipal officials, Essentials of Municipal Government.

This course will help those newly elected to office successfully transition from campaigning to governing. On the campaign trail, you make speeches and shake hands; you make commitments and promise good things for your citizens. Once elected, you take an oath of office to uphold the laws and the Constitution of our state and our nation; the scope of your responsibilities can seem daunting. In this two-day course, you will learn the following:

• The fundamentals of municipal government law, authority, and practice
• The core functions of municipal government and the importance of your town charter
• The role of the elected body and your role as one of its members
• The legal boundaries of ethics and transparency
• The exemplary habits of a high-performing governing board, which include building positive relationships with staff and external partners who influence life in your communities

Essentials of Municipal Government provides an excellent opportunity for incumbents to learn about newer elements of laws affecting municipal governance. It also fulfills the mandatory Ethics training requirement. All participants will gain a deeper appreciation of the value of governing at the municipal level and the importance of developing the skills and behaviors that lead to effective local government leadership. Participants especially appreciate getting to know other elected officials from across their regions and learning from each other’s experiences.  

Who should attend the course: We encourage your newly elected officials to attend with their municipal manager. Municipalities with strong clerk relationships would also benefit from attending together.

This engaging course includes role-plays, small group discussions, peer-to-peer insights, and practical tips and tools for navigating the municipal governing environment. Dates and location for the upcoming program cycle are:

• January 9–10 – New Bern, Riverfront Convention Center of Craven County - 203 S Front St, New Bern, NC 28560
• January 30–31 – Kannapolis, Milestone Building - 4855 Milestone Drive, Kannapolis, NC 28081

Find hotel information for each location under the “Registration” tab.

 See agenda here 

LELA Level: Local elected officials become members of the Local Elected Leaders Academy upon completion of Essentials of County/Municipal Government. This is a 101 Level course in the Local Elected Leaders Academy. Elected officials who attend this class will earn 12 credits towards the Practitioner recognition certificate.