Municipal Board/Committee Participation

Number of residents that serve on appointed public boards, committees and commissions per 1,000 residents

Why is this important?

There are a variety of opportunities to be engaged with local government on the city, town and county level. Board and committee appointees have the opportunity to make important policy recommendations and administrative decisions that impact neighborhoods and the broader community. The use of boards and committees provides many benefits to both government and community. Boards provide opportunity for in-depth examination of issues, create a communication channel between elected officials and the community, provide a breadth of ideas and expertise to public decision-making, serve as a way to build consensus, assist in the resolution of conflicts, and provide training for new community leaders. To best serve local leaders and the community, boards and commissions should reflect the diversity of the local community in terms of population, geography, and viewpoint.

How are we doing?

The county-wide totals are not comparable over time periods due to the addition and subtraction of town data. However, trend data are available for areas that have data in multiple time periods. In 2016, 614 people served on various boards and commissions in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and the Towns of Cornelius Davidson, and Matthews. In 2021, this decreased to 446 people that served on municipal boards and committees. Some of the decline in participation may be due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

About the Data

Number of residents that serve on appointed city, town, and/or county boards, committees and commissions including libraries, sheriff and police departments, divided by the total population and multiplied by 1,000.

Source: City of Charlotte; Town of Cornelius; Town of Davidson; Town of Matthews

Additional Resources