Board Meeting Schedule & Procedures
The Board of Commissioners hold three types of meetings to conduct business. At regular meetings the Board votes on critical issues that impact Wake County residents and hosts a public comment for residents to share their thoughts with the Board. At work sessions, the Board receives updates from staff and partners, but does not vote or receive comment. At committee meetings, the Board discusses relevant topics before they are presented to the full Board.
Learn more about regular meetings below.
General Information
- The Board meets on the first and third Mondays of each month (unless changed for holidays or other reasons) in the Wake County Justice Center, 300 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, Room 2700, 2nd floor. Meetings begin at 5 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, with a public comment period during each meeting.
- Residents may submit public comments through one of three methods listed below or sign up to speak during the public comment period.
- Members of the public can submit written public comments via one of three methods:
- Submit online via a link posted to the Public Comment page the morning of each regular meeting, open for submissions 9 a.m. to noon; Comments submitted online will be summarized during the meeting by staff and added to the meeting minutes.
- Hand-deliver written comments to the reception area of the County Manager's Office, 4th floor, Wake County Justice Center.
- Mail written comment to:
Clerk to the Board of Commissioners
P.O. Box 550
Raleigh NC 27602
Agendas and Minutes
- The Board uses the Legistar platform to post agendas, minutes and video recordings accessible for all regular meetings, work sessions and committee meetings.
- Regular Board meeting agendas are posted the Friday before a regular meeting on Legistar.
- Meeting minutes are posted after being approved by the Board of Commissioners, typically after the next regular meeting.
- Legistar includes meeting minutes dating back to 1901, as well as video recordings since 2007. Meetings are livestreamed and the full video of each meeting is posted the following day.
Attend a Meeting
- The Board meets on the first and third Mondays of each month (unless changed for holidays or other reasons). You can find the meeting schedule here.
- Regular meetings take place in the Wake County Justice Center, 300 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, Room 2700, 2nd floor.
- Work sessions take place in the Wake County Justice Center, 300 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, Room 2800, 2nd floor.
- Residents who wish to attend meetings can park in the Wake County Parking Deck, 216 W. Cabarrus St., Raleigh. Please bring your parking voucher inside and have it validated by a Wake County staff member before the meeting.
- Residents who require disability accommodations to access meetings should contact the Clerk to the Board’s office five days prior to the meeting by calling 919-856-6180.
- The Board also offers language translation and interpretation services.
Order of Proceedings
- Call to Order: The Chair will call the meeting to order, lead the pledge of allegiance and ask a commissioner to offer an invocation.
- Items of Business: The Board will approve the agenda, approve minutes from previous meetings, and pass and read proclamations. Retiree recognitions and any other formal recognitions are read.
- Consent Agenda: Items that are considered to be routine are put on the consent agenda and may be enacted by one motion. If a commissioner requests, an item may be removed and considered separately.
- Public Comment: The general public comment period offers residents a time to speak on any topic they want to share with the Board. This is separate from public hearings for specific agenda items up for consideration on the regular agenda. Residents who have signed up to speak will be called forward one at a time and asked to introduce themselves. They may address the Board for up to 3 minutes and leave any supporting documentation with the Clerk to the Board. Commissioners do not respond to residents during this time, only listen. Written comments received for the meeting will also be briefly summarized for the Board and sent to them in full the following day.
- Regular Agenda: Items on the regular agenda are presented and discussed. This section typically begins with advertised public hearings. Residents can sign up to speak during public hearings and will be given 3 minutes to speak on the specific agenda item the Board is considering. Other regular agenda items often require a presentation from County staff or partners, a time for commissioners to ask questions and some discussion before a vote. Some regular agenda items might be considered a first reading of an item that the law requires to have two readings before a final vote is taken.
- Appointments: The Vice Chair will share appointments being made to any resident advisory boards and councils and notify commissioners of any upcoming vacancies that will need to be filled.
- Other Business: After the regular agenda, there is an opportunity for the Board to receive a Manager’s Report. These informational presentations may be presented by the County Manager himself, or by a staff member on his behalf, but are not associated with a Board action. Commissioners may also share updates from any of the advisory or regional boards they serve on.
- Closed Session: A closed session is a portion of the meeting closed to the public in which the Board receives updates from staff and legal counsel on a limited number of topics that require confidentiality, as outlined in North Carolina state law. Some of the permissible reasons for closed session include receiving legal advice, discussing personnel matters, negotiating contracts and being briefed on potential economic development incentives. If a closed session is needed, the County Attorney will announce the General Statute authorizing the closed session. The commissioners will recess to a conference room for the closed session, allowing the public to stay in the chambers. Following closed session, the Board will return to their chambers for open session and take action, if needed.
- Adjournment: When the meeting’s agenda is concluded, the Chair will announce the Board’s next meeting date and time and adjourn.