Clearly Conveying County Wishes to Outsiders
THE COUNTY LINE
Sonny Brasfield Executive Director
If You Don ’ t Go , You Won ’ t Know
Clearly Conveying County Wishes to Outsiders
Years ago , when I was a young man getting started in the business of advocacy and promotion of county government , one of my favorite commissioners stood during a district meeting and said something that has stuck with me since .
At the time , he was talking about the Association ’ s education program for county commissioners , which was brand new , and some folks weren ’ t sure it was necessary . He was passionate about the program and believed his colleagues needed to attend the classes and learn more about the “ real ” story of managing , protecting and expanding the services counties provide to their residents .
What he said was catchy and , honestly , the kind of thing you ’ d hear people say when standing around an old country store or outside the courthouse on a Wednesday afternoon . Folks laughed the first time he spoke , but as time passed – and he repeated the phrase to make different points on different subjects – others began to borrow his insightful comment .
His phrase roared back to me a few weeks ago when someone outside county government questioned the Association ’ s efforts to advocate for the protection and improvement of county government in Alabama .
“ If you don ’ t go , you won ’ t know ,” is what former Chambers County Commissioner Ross Dunn said that night nearly 30 years ago .
That night , he was talking about those not going to the educational classes – those who thought they already knew everything they needed to know . And his point , of course , was that if those “ know-it-all ” commissioners did not attend the classes , they would have no idea what was going on . If you don ’ t go , you won ’ t know . And that short line sums up the response county government had to someone outside its ranks who decided she should second-guess the way those “ inside ” sought to protect its ability to provide services at the local level . You see , she has never served or been a part of county government – or any other level of government , for that matter – so most of those who do serve at the local level had just one question : “ How on earth could she have any idea what ’ s best for counties ?”
Repeating the details of the issue that gave rise to her attack on the Association isn ’ t important because the facts were distorted and twisted in an effort to discourage counties , county officials and county employees from their mission . But learning from the criticism is important , Ross Dunn would tell us . Because if we “ don ’ t go ” then we “ won ’ t know .”
Some outside county government are unconcerned when there are efforts to shift state programs to the local level or to reduce state funding for services , believing counties will pick up the pieces . Such moves do not solve problems nor do they help issues vanish into thin air . The problems continue to grow ; this shifting of costs only shifts the debate to another level of government . And it is the citizens who lose . This Association ’ s role is to make the decision-makers acutely aware of that reality . Counties cannot stand by and watch as responsibilities are passed down to the local level – not because counties
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