President's Message
- Volume 50, Number 5 - 2006
Are You Ready for Another Legislative Session?
In the previous issue of our magazine, we printed our legislative program for this year – complete with a long list of new laws we’d like to see passed, and a detailed listing of our official “policy statements” on just about every issue under the sun.
To the 60 or so new county commissioners and those outside of county government, the policy statements probably look like a jigsaw puzzle of complicated clauses beginning with an almost endless parade of “therefore” or “provided hereafter.” And, honestly, some of the complication is necessary.
County government in Alabama has changed so much, even in the time that I’ve served as a member of the Clarke County Commission. We find ourselves now involved in so many legislative initiatives in both Montgomery and Washington that the number of new policy statements outlining our position on various topics grows by a dozen or so each year.
The policy statements are an important part of what we do and what we represent as an Association. The statements outline a clear vision for this state and how county government can be a part of moving us forward in a way that we believe is in the best interest of all citizens.
And, for the record, the statements also represent input from all corners of the state. The language contained in the statements begins with input from our six steering committees, legislative committee, board of directors and the full membership. By the end of the process, we’ve thought and re-thought our position and decided on the best way to represent all of county government. However, to those outside our group, the list must be overwhelming.
The entire set of legislative policy statements was printed in the last issue of The County Commissioner and can be found online at www.acca-online.org. There are statements on everything from recycling batteries to the federal motor fuel taxes, and from the administration of ad valorem taxes to the administration of the food stamp program – and everything in between.
But, as the 2007 regular session of the Alabama Legislature begins, it might be helpful to look at three guiding principles that are the backbone of those pages and pages of explanations regarding what we support and what we oppose. For all of our work can be summed up in three easy-to-understand concepts.
First, and foremost, we oppose the imposition of unfunded mandates on county government in Alabama. We oppose those mandates no matter their source, no matter how good intended and – to be consistent – we oppose unfunded mandates, even if they are suggested by county commissioners.
This consistent, unwavering approach has helped us gain credibility in the legislative arena, and it has helped all those other groups to understand our position, even before we’ve taken the time to explain it.
A few years ago, Alabama’s voters approved a constitutional amendment restricting the passage of such mandates. However, each year we hear of some other possible mandate on the horizon, and we craft a new policy statement singling out that mandate for opposition.
But, suffice it to say, we oppose all unfunded mandates – those in the form of local bills, general bills, federal legislation, executive orders, state agency rules, or whatever form they may be couched. County government in Alabama does not have the ability to raise revenue, so it is important that our current level of revenue be protected. Even if we haven’t written a specific policy statement on some unfunded mandate that is introduced this year, we oppose it.
Second, we believe the decisions regarding local government are best made on the local level. For that reason, we support legislation that brings those decisions to the county commission table, and we oppose legislation that would remove any local decision-making that exists today.
This principle was the motivation behind our decade-long fight for the passage of the Self-Governance Act during the 2005 legislative session. The average citizen has much more opportunity to attend local county commission meetings. He or she has a higher probability of influencing the actions of their local county commissioners. So, it only makes sense for the important decisions regarding the lives of local citizens to be made at the local level.
As county commissioners, this position means we are advocating more responsibility; more community involvement; and, unfortunately, more political potholes. But, that’s the nature of the beast.
For example, when the legislature convenes in March, legislation will be introduced that will establish a statewide building code for all commercial and residential construction in Alabama. The legislation will also authorize all the county commissions to enforce that code, establish their own inspection fees, and enact penalties for the violation of the codes. This approach is consistent with our belief that such issues are best addressed on the local level. And, we will not oppose the passage of this legislation – it is consistent with our philosophy.
Third, the operation of government costs money. Pure and simple, county government cannot provide services to the people of our state without additional revenue.
The price of the products we use every day increases year after year, because it is more expensive to produce those products. The salaries of the workers increase; transportation costs increase; the list could go on and on. And, at the county government level, our costs increase as well. We cannot provide 2007 services with 2000-level revenue. County government pays more for gas, electricity, telephones, and insurance – just like every other consumer.
This guiding principle can be seen in two major ways. We oppose any legislative actions that would reduce county tax proceeds; that reduce the county’s share of taxes levied on the state level; or that would increase these shared taxes without including county government in the increased revenue.
Additionally, the Association supports the aggressive collection of the taxes currently on the books and is generally supportive of reasonable increases to ensure that we can provide important services to the people who depend on us at the local level.
Now, if you want the long-winded version, you can check out the website. You can look at all the policies. Pour over the details. Wade through a sea of commas and semi-colons. But, with these three concepts in hand, you are ready for this year’s legislative session and next year’s, for that matter.
These three guiding concepts don’t change. No matter how many different policy statements we draft each year.
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