Mecklenburg County was formed in 1762 from the western part of Anson County and the first official governmental action took place in February 1763. The North Carolina State Constitution approved in 1868 gave the citizens of all counties the right to elect a Board of County Commissioners to govern them.
From 1868 to 1986, Mecklenburg County was governed by a five member board elected at-large. The first seven-member board took office in 1986 and in 1994, the first nine-member Board took office. Six members are elected by districts and three are elected at-large.
The Board's primary responsibilities are to adopt an annual budget, set a property tax rate and establish priorities to address the County's needs, especially in the areas of health, education, welfare and mental health.