Mecklenburg County Commissioner Ella Scarborough On Hospice

MEKLENBURG COUNTY — Mecklenburg County Commissioner Ella Scarborough, 76, is on hospice, according to board chairman George Dunlap.

“Let me just take a moment to say that our prayers go out to the family of Commissioner Ella Scarborough,” Dunlap said Tuesday during the commission meeting. “We just learned earlier this afternoon that she is in hospice care. So our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”

Scarborough had been absent from meetings for weeks before the board recently voted to replace her on an interim basis due to undisclosed health reasons. She last attended a virtual meeting in 2021.

She is a historical figure in Mecklenburg County with a long legacy. She became the first female African American City Councilmember (District and At-Large, 1987-1997). She is a graduate of South Carolina State University – Library Science Education and holds a master's in Organizational Leadership from the University of Charleston West Virginia and a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

Commissioner Pat Cain Cotham spoke about her friend recently on social media. "Commissioner Ella Scarborough is a community treasure, an accomplished corporate woman who is as smart and fashionable as she is beautiful. She is a loving mother and has been a dedicated public servant for decades. So many people have told me “Ms. Ella has helped my family.”

Scarborough's replacement candidates will be announced Tuesday, with a final candidate selected later in March.