County Commission | The Magazine October 2017 | Page 7

are disinterested in serving the public in Montgomery for the inaugural
but because counties do not have
meeting of the revamped ACCA
unlimited revenue.
Legislative Committee. A panel of
Every new program or new
commissioners has opened dialogue
responsibility – even if that
with members of the House Black
responsibility is cloaked in the
Caucus so that the best interests of
distractive
language of being
Counties cannot stand by and watch
“permissive” –
passed down to the as responsibilities are passed down
local level causes
to the local level – not because
commissioners to
counties are disinterested in serving
abandon or reduce
funding for some
the public but because counties do
existing service. And
not have unlimited revenue.
somehow, that fact
is often lost on those
who “don’t go” to the courthouse very counties can be clearly and collectively
often, if at all.
considered before votes are taken in
So, as a new legislative session
the Alabama State House.
nears, the Association has begun
As you read this, the Association
work on the 2018 Alabama County
staff is traveling across the state to
Platform. In early October, more
hold district meetings so that the
than 50 county commissioners from
membership can have direct input
all over the state spent two days
into the positions and issues that will
be given priority. Then, next month,
our affiliate groups will gather to pour
over the language in the Platform and
to dissect important and complicated
issues so that the Association’s
positions can be concise, effective
and unified.
The Legislative Committee and
the Board of Directors will have
another cut at making changes in late
November, and then, that Platform
will be put before the full membership
during our Legislative Conference in
Florence just before Christmas.
This process is necessary so that
the Association’s objectives and
guiding principles can reflect the
wishes of the members and, just as
importantly, be clear to those outside
of county government.
Those principles, and our actions
on behalf of the citizens who depend
on county government, are easy to
understand and to predict. Unless, of
course, you don’t know. n
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