Politics

McGrady named 'County Caucus' chair

By Bill Moss, Published: February 26, 2013

State Rep. Chuck McGrady, who served one and a half terms as a Henderson County commissioner, has been named chair of the newly created County Caucus by legislative leaders.

The County Caucus is a group formed by the 26 legislators who are former county commissioners to provide a forum for those legislators to discuss and exchange information about legislation that could affect counties.

"I was pleasantly surprised when my peers asked me to chair the new County Caucus," McGrady said in a news release. "I enjoyed my service as a Henderson County commissioner, and this gives me an opportunity to continue my work on behalf of counties."
"Typically, the counties are most concerned about getting mandates and then not getting money to implement the mandates. I want to keep that from happening."

A former Flat Rock Village Council member, McGrady served on the Henderson County Planning Board and was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2004. He was re-elected in 2008 and won the Henderson County state House seat when Carolyn Justus retired in 2010.

Rebecca Troutman, the Intergovernmental Relations Director for the NC Association of Counties, praised the formation of the new caucus.

"It really speaks to the vibrant nature of the state/county partnership in North Carolina," Troutman said in the news release.

Sen. Jim Davis (R-Macon) is the Senate co-chair of the new caucus and Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg) and Sen. Earline Parmon (D-Forsyth) are caucus vice-chairs. McGrady was named the NCACC's "Outstanding County Commissioner" in 2009 prior to his election to the North Carolina House.