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President's Message
- Fall Issue 2004
Five Suggestions for New County Commissioners
Four years ago, when we were ushering in a new President in Washington D.C. and a new crop of commissioners around Alabama, the Association's president offered some advice to the in-coming commissioners.
His advice to the commissioners included suggestions that they display respect for the confidence the public had expressed by its election; that they would not able to please everyone; that they seek to "serve" the public not to "sit" on the commission; that they learn that they cannot do their job if they "stay" at home; that they seek support from outside the commission and that they understand that they were elected for four years, not for a lifetime.
That advice is certainly worth repeating to this year's crop of new commissioners. You will need to learn from your colleagues, respect the public and to take an active role in your community.
Depending on how you define the term "new", about 63 new commissioners took office back in November. This group included three sitting commissioners who were elected to the county-wide position of chairman and the three persons who were appointed to fill the district seats they vacated. The list also included at least two former commissioners who were elected again to the county commission.
While these new commissioners are still getting accustomed to their new surroundings, a few additional suggestions are offered from the desk of an old, dusty commission chairman turned association president:
First, you can't get it all done the first day, no matter how hard you try.
No matter how hard you try, you will not accomplish all your goals during your first term in office. Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant did not win a national championship until he had been a head coach for more than a decade and had been hired as a head coach a fourth time. Most people have chosen to forget that Bryant's success was not instant. Likewise, the wheels of government do not move very quickly, and there is little you can do to speed up their progress.
Find two or three projects. Focus your attention. And get to work. Leave yourself something to accomplish during your second term, otherwise frustration will cause you to dislike almost everything about county government. And, that lack of productivity will cause a big block of the voters to be frustrated with you.
Second, you can't keep all of your promises.
Most of you make a sack full of promises during the campaign. Some of those promises will be very difficult to keep. A few of the promises will be impossible to keep. In fact, you will likely break some of those promises during your first six months in office.
Many of the things that sounded good on the campaign trail simply don't wear very well in the light of day. Others before you have fallen into the same trap. If you are lucky AND wise, you will learn this lesson. And if and when you are elected to public office again, you will not make as many promises and, therefore, you won't be forced to break as many promises the second time around.
Third, government isn't a business and can't be run like one.
Government is not a business. You will learn this soon enough. In business, you have competitors. If you don't make a good hamburger, they'll go somewhere else to eat. If you charge too much to repair their water pump, they'll take their broken-down car elsewhere.
But if we do a bad job repairing roads, the public must live with our poor performance. If we fail to provide adequate public health services or if the courthouse is rundown, there are no other "competitors" to provide these services.
And, unlike your colleagues in business, you won't be able to generate needed money (or "capital") simply be increasing the price of your product. You will be forced to live within your means. You will find yourself cutting corners that would never be cut in business. You will ask your employees to work harder and longer, often without a raise. You will likely be forced to cut their benefits and eliminate holidays.
Government is nothing like a business. Do everything you can to learn about county government quickly. And adjust your thought processes accordingly.
Fourth, measure twice, cut once.
You will face hundreds, maybe even thousands of decisions during the next four years. Effective government is based on the art of compromise. If you measure your successes by whether or not you achieve 100 percent of your goals, you will not measure up very well. In order to achieve success, you will likely be forced to adjust your goals and allow others the opportunity to achieve success also.
Every elected official in the county will be concerned about how their position is evaluated by the public. Many times everything that is said in public will not be sincere, nor will it be a true barometer of the speaker's position. Think long and hard before you make statements in public meetings. Don't lodge criticism of your fellow commissioners or office holders. Think twice before you speak.
And, finally, there's no one to speak for County Government except us.
County government stands alone, most of the time. There are few voices willing to stand up for the needs of the county commission. Outside forces will work hard to undermine the success of your county. Outside groups will try to pass legislation or implement rules that will take away your authority or require you to fund some new program. And, all the while, the public will be demanding more from you and your fellow commissioners.
For that reason, we've got to stick together. There are 361 county commissioners and ONE Association of County Commissions of Alabama. We will find few allies in Montgomery; few allies in the courthouse; few allies in the news media; and even few allies in our Sunday School classes. Get to know the Association staff, your colleagues, the county administrators, engineers, county attorneys, revenue officers, EMA directors and 9-1-1 directors.
Be prepared to lean on us and to let us lean on you.
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