County Commission | The Magazine August 2018 | Page 18

FROM THE COVER
road improvements. This is equivalent to more than 20
years of normal federal allocations to Autauga County
but was accomplished in the span of four years.
Despite ATRIP’s impact, the state still lacked
sufficient funding to meet its 21st century mobility needs.
There were multiple locations around the state where
citizens were willingly going “back to the stone age,” with
badly-deteriorated paved roads plowed up and returned to
unpaved surfaces.
Growing out of ATRIP’s momentum, county
engineers formed DRIVE Alabama (Developing a Road
and Infrastructure Vision for Everyone) to address the
urgent need to educate the public about the state of
Alabama’s county roads and bridges.
The multi-faceted DRIVE campaign clearly moved
the needle in terms of the public’s - and legislators’ -
understanding of the problem and its significant negative
impacts on the economy, public safety and quality of life for
Alabamians. The only way to address the crisis is funding.
Thus far in 2018, county leaders have taken a two-
pronged approach: keeping the need front and center
and talking to legislative candidates about their positions
on new revenue for local transportation infrastructure.
Once again, the time is right for a game-changing road
and bridge initiative in Alabama, and county leaders are
focused like a laser on making that happen in 2019. n
Where we’ve been
When I was first elected in 1986, counties were
an afterthought in the eyes of many, taking a back
seat to cities and other organizations that wielded
much more influence on
local and state issues.
But now, because of the
hard work of Association
staff and leadership and
many commissioners who
have given their time
and worked to improve
counties’ image and place,
we are at the table if
anything moves forward
in our communities or in
state government.
Hon. Mark Culver
2000-2001 ACCA President
Houston County
The Association of County Administrators
of Alabama salutes its 2018 honorees!
ACAA: An Affiliate of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama
Bill Dempsey, CCA
HOUSTON COUNTY
County Administrator
of the Year
Service
Awards
18 | COUNTY COMMISSION
—20 years—
John Gordon, CCA
FAYE