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President's Message
- Pre-Convention Issue 2006
Voters speak LOUDLY in historic vote in Alabama
Back in August we talked about an up-coming test for counties that would require our dedication, political savvy and hard work.
And so far, there is no question that our colleagues in Autauga, Dallas, Jackson, Marshall and Mobile Counties have passed that test - with flying colors.
Voters in those five counties have now spoken and granted to their county commissions the authority to exercise nuisance abatement powers in the unincorporated areas of the county. The county officials in all five counties are to be congratulated for their work and for earning the public's confidence that was expressed by the favorable votes on June 6.
Work is already underway in those counties to put into place the procedures necessary to address the problems of junkyards, pollution, unsanitary sewage, noise and other activities that present a threat to the health and safety of those persons who live in unincorporated areas. Our Association staff is working to help provide the counties with needed resources and to assist in the implementation of these new powers.
Other counties have scheduled local votes for the November election and still others are beginning the dialog that will result in local referendums in the coming years.
My, how things have changed in Alabama.
It wasn't all that long ago that our discussions of shifting powers to the local level were almost laughed out of Montgomery. Our Blue Ribbon Committee on County Government focused attention on the issue back in 1988. For years following that committee's recommendation, we introduced "home rule" legislation only to see it blocked before it could really move out of the starting gates. But hard work has changed that.
A great deal of the recent success can be charted back to our legislative conference in 2004, when our membership discussed how we might adjust or change our approach on this important issue. It was at that meeting that we decided to focus only on the "health and safety" powers contained in the act that was finally passed by the Legislature in 2005, leaving taxing authority and land-use planning for another day.
In that meeting we also decided to interject the idea of a rural-only referendum that would be the method for granting counties the authority to use these powers. Those decisions - along with a great deal of work by legislative leaders and county officials - played a key role in the Legislature's willingness to pass the legislation in 2005.
Even those who voted to approve the passage of this act made it clear that they felt the rural residents would never vote "yes" in order to grant the county commission that ability to address these issues. But hard work has changed that, too.
The hard work that led to the positive votes in all five counties didn't just begin a couple of months before Election Day. No, that work began years ago. The positive vote was just tangible evidence of public support that has been built through years of consistent and positive leadership on the local level.
The voters were willing to say "yes" on this question only because the county commission had earned their trust and had conducted itself in a way that ensured the voters that the powers granted in the act would be used only as prescribed in the law. Again, that is the result of hard work by the commissioners and everyone associated with county government in those five counties.
And now, the implementation of these programs will present a whole new set of challenges for the local officials and employees. But there is no question that they will succeed. Just look at how they have succeeded so far.
As president, it would be wonderful to reach the end of my term and take credit for what can only be characterized as a historic step in Alabama. But that would be foolish.
The credit goes, as I have already said, to the elected officials and employees on the local level. But credit also goes to those in this Association who have worked hard on the issue of "home rule" or "self-governance" for almost two decades.
Those of you who were present at our convention last year might recall that I mentioned the role of that Blue Ribbon Committee, which worked back in the late 1980s to focus attention on this issue of "home rule". All who have served in leadership positions since that date can take pride in what has happened in the past 18 months. Unfortunately, many of those who worked on that committee are no longer here and others are no longer associated with county government.
But, as is the case with everything we do, their baton was handed off to others who took it and completed the journey.
That process will continue at our convention in August. The baton will be handed off again, to a new president and a new set of officers who realize that they must be dedicated and use their political savvy and hard work to continue to move county government forward in Alabama.
But in the meantime, if you see me smiling it's because I was lucky enough to be president when the voters spoke so loudly.
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