Statements Developed through Value Chatham Initiative & Approved by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on March 18, 2024

Mission Statement

Chatham County is committed to building a thriving community through services and solutions that are innovative, sustainable, and financially responsible.

Vision Statement

Chatham County's vision is to excel in equity and enhance the quality of life for all through collaborative leadership, exceptional service, and transparency.

History of Chatham County

Records show that settlers from Europe arrived in the area as early as the mid- 1700s, including a Quaker settlement formed in 1751. Early settlers entered from the north through a trading route of the Catawba Indians and from the south through the Cape Fear River Valley.

The Colonial Assembly established Chatham County through legislation introduced on December 5, 1770, which was effective on April 1, 1771. The county was formed from a portion of what was once Orange County. The county was named for the Earl of Chatham, William Pitt, who was a "defender of American rights in the British Parliament."

The legislation forming Chatham County noted that the new county was needed to provide greater access to inhabitants living in the southern part of the county. It was too difficult and expensive for those residents to travel to the Orange County government seat (Hillsborough) to conduct business.

In the early years, the county was governed by justices of the peace, which served the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions. The justices were appointed by the state’s General Assembly. For a period of time, the justices also appointed other county officials, which included the sheriff, coroner, constables, clerk, register, county attorney, standard-keeper, entry-taker and surveyor, rangers, and overseers of roads.

Reconstruction and the new State Constitution of 1868 established a five-member board of county commissioners, divided the county into townships, and radically changed the court system. Justices of the peace were eliminated from county government in 1894.

In 1977, the county adopted the council-manager form of government and appointed the first county manager. We now have five county commissioners elected to four-year staggered terms. They must reside in specific districts but are elected by voters at large.

Source- Chatham County: 1771-1971, edited by Doris Goerch Horton, Nell Craig Strowd, and Wade Hadley.

Chatham County Historical Association

The Chatham County Historical Association manages a website with great information on the county's history. They also manage the Historical Museum located on the Historic County Courthouse in Pittsboro. Learn more at http://chathamhistory.org.

Values

At Chatham County, our core values guide our actions and decisions:

Integrity                    Respect

Accountability       Community

Service                       Collaboration

Equity

At Chatham County, we define our core values as:

Integrity: Being honest and having strong moral principles that are unwavering.

Respect: Is the positive regard of one person for another, which is demonstrated through actions and words. Respect involves understanding and valuing differences.                                         
Accountability: The acceptance of responsibility for honest and ethical conduct towards others.       

Community:  A group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by common ties for the well-being of Chatham County.                                           

Service:  Resources offered by Chatham County government, intended to support members of a community and are systems and solutions that can benefit various groups of   individuals within the county community.      

Collaboration: To work jointly with others or collectively to achieve a common goal.

Equity: Recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make the necessary adjustments to imbalances.       

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners (BOC) is a five-member board. Each commissioner must reside within the district they represent, but are elected by all voters. Learn more about the BOC and districts.

The BOC appoints a County Manager who administers the day-to-day business of the county. The BOC also appoints the County Attorney, Tax Administrator, and Clerk to the Board of Commissioners.

The BOC has general authority over county policies, but other boards have authority over specific policy areas, such as the Board of Health, Board of Social Services, Board of Elections, and Soil and Water Conservation District Board.

Find a county facility and view local maps.

Programs and Services

County governments in North Carolina provide a wider array of services or programs than in many states where counties have more limited responsibilities. However, counties in North Carolina do not have any responsibility for roads or bridges.

Most of the county’s programs and services are mandated or required by state and/or federal government. Find details about programs and services under the Government tab at the top of the website.

Education

Chatham County government contributes funds to, but does not govern, K-12 public education and the community college system. Chatham County Schools is governed by the Board of Education. Central Carolina Community College, which has two campuses in the county, is governed by the Board of Trustees.