President's Message - Fall Issue 2003
Alabama Counties Responded, AGAIN!
Those of you who attended
the ACCA Convention in August were probably very surprised
to hear the state director of the Alabama Department of
Homeland Security announce that Alabama county commissions
would be asked to coordinate the development of the local
homeland security assessments.
What a challenge - or as they
say, what an "opportunity." To make the opportunity
even more challenging, we were asked to coordinate these
local assessments in less than 70 days!
This assessment required the
reporting of transportation routes, employees and equipment
that could be used to respond to a homeland disaster,
local resources that should be protected from attack and
a detailed outline of how local officials and agencies
will communicate and coordinate their activities in the
event of a homeland disaster.
Some of the critics of county
government might have doubted the ability of counties
to pull this assessment together on such a short time
frame. Your board of directors and officers were outspoken
supporters of counties assuming this important role because
we knew you'd get the job done. Your track record made
it very clear that you would perform in a positive manner.
It is not necessary for me
to detail the volume of data that was required to complete
this assessment. As county officials, you are certainly
aware of the work that was necessary to complete this
task.
The short time frame that was
established made the task almost impossible.
Some counties were simply unable
to complete the assessment with their own personnel and
sought outside help to complete the project under the
difficult time constraints. Again, the county commission's
involvement, even in those circumstances, was essential
to the success of the effort.
When the smoke cleared in mid-October,
66 Alabama counties had submitted their Local Homeland
Security Assessment and Strategy before the deadline!
That's simply outstanding. By the time this magazine makes
its way to your mailbox, we are confident that all 67
counties will have completed and submitted their local
assessment.
As your president, I am extremely
proud of the dedication that county officials and employees
showed in completing these assessments. With the local
assessments in hand, the state of Alabama should have
no difficulty in meeting the federal deadline to forward
the State Homeland Security Assessment and Strategy by
Dec. 31, 2003.
This accomplishment is just
another example of how county government in Alabama can
- AND DOES - rise to the occasion. There are those who
continue to oppose efforts to grant counties local governing
authority by pointing to the past. Certainly county government
was very different 30 or 40 or 50 years ago. Perhaps,
the county government of half a century ago should not
have been granted additional authority.
Today's county government has
demonstrated time and again that it can - AND WILL - carry
out its responsibilities with effectiveness and efficiency.
If you look at this Association's
membership, you see some of the states best political
and social leaders. We no longer back away from difficult
decisions and issues. We no longer stand on the sidelines
when it comes time to work toward the economic improvement
of our communities. It is time for our state to give even
more responsibility to counties.
In just a few weeks we will
gather to establish our legislative priorities for the
coming year. I trust that our goals will be significant
and that the Alabama Legislature will take a positive
look at our ideas and will grant to county government
even more responsibility.
You deserve it. You've proven
yet again that you WILL get the job done. Your performance
is just one reason why I am so proud to serve as your
president.
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