President's Message
- Volume 52, Number 3 - 2008
Faulk pledges to continue steering ACCA along a successful course.
Following is Association President Joe Faulk’s speech from the Association’s 80th Annual Convention...
“Those of you who have attended other conventions know all the president’s inaugural speeches begin the same way – with a listing of the Association’s leadership. This represents a traditional, respectful way of paying tribute to the leaders in the audience before moving forward with your ideas and plans.
“Tonight’s speech will include that recognition of our outstanding leaders, but I feel compelled to make a few comments to our members who are here tonight near the close of their current terms on the county commission. For some of you, tonight’s banquet represents the last official Association function you will attend. And, there are a few things that should be said before we part company this week.
“I want to personally thank each of you for the contribution you have made to this Association; for the time and energy you have devoted to improving county government; for your friendship and loyalty to your colleagues from across the state; and, most importantly, for the public service you have delivered to the citizens of your community. Those who have never served in public office cannot understand the sacrifices you have made on a daily basis. But, those sacrifices are real and substantial. Before we turn our attention to what we are going to do this coming year, it is important that we recognize your sacrifices.
“First, there is someone here I want to thank. Everyone in this room owes a debt of gratitude to Greg White for his willingness to serve as an Association officer, for his insights during these last several years and for his commitment to his county and our Association. As most of you know, Greg will not have the opportunity to officially hold the office of president of this Association. But in my opinion, he has contributed as much as anyone in this room. I am grateful to him, and I know you are as well.
“As I look around this room at those of you who are leaving the county commission, I see the faces of many commissioners I count as my personal friends; others I do not know as well, but we have worked side-by-side to improve our state. Tonight, as we part, I will make everyone two promises.
“First, I pledge that we will complete the work you started. Joe Faulk and the rest of this Association will not let your efforts be forgotten. We will continue to demand that county
government be given the tools needed to address the challenges back home, such as the rising costs of energy, funding to meet our road and bridge needs, unemployment in our communities, and the importance of economic development at the local level. That work is not complete, and we will not rest until it is finished.
“Second, we will not forget the mark you made on our state and our lives. Just this past month, we lost a former president of this Association, John Will Waters of Bullock County. Chairman Waters left the county commission before I took office in Elmore County, so I never served with or met him. But, his mark remains on this Association and on Elmore County. Those of you who attended the County Commissioner Training Program have felt his influence – for that program was initiated during his tenure as Association President. His hard work and commitment continues today, long after his public service ended.
“Just like Chairman Waters, all of you have contributed to our Association in your own way. We are better because you have come our way. We are grateful for our time together, and we will not forget. Thank you for your service and your friendship.
“Now, let’s return to tradition... President Jerold Dean; Vice Presidents Greg White, Larry White and Ricky Burney; Immediate Past President Rhondel Rhone, Past Presidents Stanley Batemon, Bruce Hamrick, Roger Hayes, Mark Culver, Hardy McCollum and Pappy Dunn; members of the board of directors, fellow county officials, friends, ladies and gentlemen…
“Tonight brings to a close a very challenging and hectic year for me and my family. And, tonight begins a year that promises to hold even more challenges and, if it possible, to be even more hectic. I am eager, excited and confident because I know you will stand beside me in this endeavor.
“County government in Alabama faces challenges today that are completely different than those faced on the night this Association was established in 1929. In the last 80 years much as changed. Now we are confronted with issues like those I mentioned earlier – economic development, infrastructure needs, energy conservation – and many more such as homeland security, emergency response, financial challenges, declining revenue and so many others.
“In 1929, most of the energy of county government was focused on road and bridge work. Commissioners ran for office promising to be effective ‘Road Commissioners.’ They often hopped on a motorgrader themselves and paid little attention to anything other than the condition of the roads and bridges in their districts.
“Today, things are very different. Alabama’s county commissioners find themselves as key elements in our state’s global search for new jobs and economic improvement. In this room tonight sit many county officials who were instrumental in attracting our state’s largest industrial prospects. Without those individuals and the support of the county government, the economic growth Alabama has enjoyed in the last decade simply would not have been possible.
“As a result, our Association has changed dramatically, too. Much of that change can be attributed to our leader in Montgomery – a dedicated professional who has left an undeniable mark on county government and this state. I can’t imagine what this Association or county government in general would be if a young, dashing, handsome O.H. “Buddy” Sharpless had decided to stay at J.C. Penney and sell suits instead of becoming the executive director of our Association. He has certainly played an important part in shaping the role of counties in Alabama.
“Tonight is not the time or place for all of us to express our ‘official’ gratitude to Buddy. But, tonight I feel it important to tell him, on behalf of the people who live in my district in Elmore County, that we appreciate his vision, dedication and leadership. Thanks for what you do every day and for what you have done for the last 35 years.
“Before you all run out of patience and stop listening, there ARE a few things I need to say about this coming year. As we begin this 12-month journey together, my priority will be to focus our attention and efforts on ‘preparation;’ preparation for the challenges we face at the county commission level; preparation for the challenges we face from those who would change or weaken county government; and preparation for the challenges we face as an Association.
“Preparation is so important. Often in county government we plunge into a problem without enough preparation to even be sure we have identified what’s wrong. Often we are so busy with the daily demands of providing services, that we do not prepare for the challenges we will face just around the corner or next year.
“Preparation is important in every endeavor in life and has been for centuries. It was important back in 1929 when those leaders established this Association in order to assist county officials and employees back home…and it still is important today.
“More than 500 years before Jesus was born, the Chinese philosopher and political theorist Confucius put his finger on what we need to be doing this year. He said, ‘Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.’
“It is not enough to simply dive into the problems we face each morning. It is not enough to simply continue to do things the same old way we did last year or the year before. It is not enough to dismiss the need for preparation simply because we don’t have the time, the energy, or the will to solve a problem. It is our responsibility to prepare. If we do not prepare, there is sure to be failure.
“Last year you approved a blueprint for ACCA with the adoption of the Administrative Recommendations of the 2015 Task Force. Many of those recommendations are already being implemented and many others will be put in place in the coming months. That report, which was a conscience effort to prepare for the future of our Association and our
state, is half the puzzle. This year the Task Force will reconvene to work on recommendations for the financial resources necessary to achieve the goals we have established.
“If county government is to continue to grow and meet the growing demands of our citizens, our Association must grow as well. We can favorably compare our Association’s recent record of achievement against any in Montgomery or around the nation. If you read Buddy’s column in the last magazine, the record of legislative achievements by this Association in the past eight years is unrivaled.
“The Association cannot continue to meet your expectations and needs when the organization is underfunded, especially for the wide-range of services and programs offered on behalf of county governments. If we stand still, if we do not prepare for the future, we will fall behind. And, the citizens we serve cannot afford for us to fall behind. I am not sure what recommendations will be made, but I challenge you now to support those recommendations so that our Association can continue its forward movement on behalf of all of us.
“We must also prepare for what we expect to be a very challenging year in Montgomery. It is likely that county government will again find itself at the center of most of the important issues statewide – immigration, energy conservation, clean and available water, proper administration of public financing, necessary funding for road and bridge projects…and that’s just the stuff I can name off the top of my head!
“If we are to help guide our state in a direction that benefits our goals and that will forge solutions to these significant problems, then we must begin our preparation immediately. I encourage your participation on our steering committees and during our district meetings. If you are willing to serve, please let me know. We need your insight, advice and leadership. We can’t succeed without you. We cannot succeed without the preparation that only you can provide.
“This year we must also refocus our efforts to address the massive problems at the county commission level. We have achieved much over the last three decades. Just in the last few years our successes have included securing additional funding for 9-1-1 programs and emergency management, refocusing the administrative activities and powers on the county commission level, identifying more efficient ways to make purchases and addressing the environmental problems that face us at the local level. Again, there remains much to do, but our preparation will be the key.
“Identifying problems on the local level requires the daily involvement of commissioners and staff. It requires daily communication between our Association staff and you on the local level. It requires participation in our educational programs and training events. It requires a personal commitment to be a part of our legislative efforts and to ensure that legislation that would hamper county government is defeated and that our legislation is given priority treatment in Montgomery.
“As I close tonight, I’d like to highlight the need for preparation by focusing on just one of the major issues that we will address this year. About one year ago, a tragedy occurred with the bridge collapse in Minnesota. In the months that have followed we have talked much about the need to address our infrastructure problem in Alabama and around the nation. This issue has dominated the news in the last month, but there seem to be no real solutions within reach.
“As we speak tonight, there are more than 1,100 county bridges in Alabama that will not safely support the weight of an empty school bus. This is a statistic that should move every public official in our state to action. But, yet, little is being done.
“Yes, I know we passed the largest bridge bond issue in our state’s history just eight years ago. And, we replaced some 600 old bridges.
“But my friends, that was EIGHT years ago, and time has not stood still in the 96 months since that bond issue was approved.
“In the last three years our Association has worked diligently with groups from all over the state to develop a plan to address this issue. Several bills were introduced this past session and many will, undoubtedly, be introduced in the 2009 session.
“Many factors have worked against us, but if we focus on preparation we can succeed on this issue – just as we have succeeded on many, many others in the last several years.
“We have already begun work on a proposal for the 2009 Regular Session. It cannot pass without your participation. It is just that simple.
“Tonight, I promise I will set my sights on addressing our needs. I promise we will be prepared. And, I promise, just as Confucius said, if we are not prepared, there is sure to be failure.
“Lest you think all my brain power has been focused on Confucius, as I close tonight I am reminded of the advice from the great Hall-of-Famer and former New York Yankee Roger Maris: ‘You hit home runs,’ he said, ‘not by chance, but by preparation.’
“This Association has hit home runs for many, years. Together, that means every one of us in this room and every one of our colleagues who are not here tonight – we will hit home runs this year. I am confident of that. Because I am confident of your help, and I am confident we will be prepared. Our success this year will not be a result of chance. Our home runs will be the result of preparation – preparation that can be achieved only if we all work together.
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