President's Message
- Volume 52, Number 5 - 2008
For more than 36 years, Buddy Sharpless has helped change the face of county government.
...giving our Association heart, soul and a strong, unified, incredibly respected voice to be reckoned with on the political playing field.
He’s never run for office, put up a campaign sign with his name on it, or asked anyone to vote for him.
Never designed a bridge, supervised a county paving project, or approved purchase orders for fuel for the county’s fleet of heavy equipment.
Never presented a county budget, had his work product reviewed by the Examiners of Public Accounts, or tried to resolve a conflict with an angry citizen outside the courthouse.
Never organized a crew to respond to the damage caused by a tornado, set up a communication center to answer 9-1-1 calls, or developed a plan to collect the county’s sales tax.
He’s never argued a case before the Alabama Supreme Court, voted to protect county revenue on the floor of the Alabama Legislature or offered an amendment during debate in the U.S. Senate.
No, he’s never done any of those things – at least not firsthand.
But, for more than 36 years, those of us who have had the privilege of doing those things have stood a little taller, been a little better prepared for the challenge, and carried out the duties of our position more effectively because he’s been there when we’ve called.
For more than half his life, our friend, Buddy Sharpless, has helped pave the way for us with his advice, compassion and insight.
His leadership has produced new laws that have enabled us to respond to the needs of our citizens in a positive and productive way.
His vision and steady hand has provided advice and counsel that has guided us through troubled waters back home and in Montgomery.
His ability to respond to problems has produced two nationally-recognized insurance programs that have cared for the needs of our injured workers and protected the county revenue we have been entrusted to oversee.
His dedication to county government has guided our Association from a small band of elected officials with limited goals to an outstanding organization that speaks for the most important level of government with one strong, unified and massively respected voice.
His compassion has been an example to all of us and has weaved an organization based as much on personal relationships and commitment to each other as it is on knowledge, hard work and experience.
His wisdom has been applied at just the right time for decades and has lifted many an elected official and employee from the depths of despair or the brink of
failure to success and local acclaim.
And, all the while, his laughter and cutting wit has allowed all of us to smile – even when the news back home has not been all that good.
Though he has never served one day as a county commissioner, it is hard to imagine how anyone else in our state’s history could have had a more direct impact on the day-to-day operation of county government.
His hand can be seen in almost every law that governs what we do at the county-commission level. He’s helped shape the work environment for our county administrators, engineers and the many others who lead our staff back home. He’s ensured that we’ve been given the tools we’ve needed, and he’s guided us with one eye on the pocketbook and the other on our reputation.
It has been a magic formula.
He’s never had the privilege of making a motion during a county commission meeting, or raising his hand to cast a vote on behalf of his citizens. He’s never seen that smile or heard the “thank you” that comes from a constituent whose life has been made a little easier because the county commission has done its job.
But he’s never left his post. He’s never failed to be right there, behind those of us who have faced those challenges on the local level. He’s never failed to give us the insight we’ve needed; the strong words when we were about to give in or the compassionate handshake when we were down.
It would be fitting if somehow one of us could step down – for just a day – and let our retiring executive director sit in our seat. He could make a motion, or second one. He could return a call from an angry voter. He could even walk into the coffee shop and be confronted by someone who is actually appreciative of something the county has accomplished.
It might be fitting, but it wouldn’t be Buddy’s style. Nope. For nearly 37 years, he’s been right where he was supposed to be.
And, everyone who calls Alabama “home” has been the better for it.
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