FROM THE COVER
“ I ’ m always amazed by counties ’ ability to find a way forward . Counties overcome complex challenges , provide essential services to residents , save taxpayers money and constantly do more with less .”
Those are the words of Bryan Desloge , president of the National Association of Counties ( NACo ), who has chosen to focus his presidential initiative – and the 2017 celebration of National County Government Month – on recognizing innovations and sharing best practices .
He calls them Brilliant Ideas at Work , and there are plenty of examples right here in Alabama . There must be – because counties accomplish so much for so many , working with resources that are all too scarce .
What are the characteristics of Brilliant Ideas at Work ? Are they unique ? Sometimes . The wheel did have to be invented , and you could say the same about Simplified Sellers Use Tax remittance . But there is brilliance too in taking inspiration from another county ’ s success or in making the most of something that seems routine .
Bottom line , the brilliant part is what Desloge would call “ finding a way forward ” despite countless challenges . And counties in Alabama do that every single day .
Editor ’ s Note :
This month , County Commission magazine is saluting a few of the Brilliant Ideas at Work in Alabama counties . The Brilliant Ideas on these pages are surely just the tip of the iceberg . Undoubtedly , there are many more . We would love to hear about Brilliant Ideas at Work in your county ! Please email us at sgowan @ alabamacounties . org .
Blount County ’ s town hall meeting goes live
Last fall things were coming down to the wire for the Moving Blount County Forward initiative .
The coalition had been working for months to secure support for a 1-cent sales tax to benefit county and municipal infrastructure , public schools and public safety . County voters would decide the issue in a referendum on the same ballot as a presidential election predicted to generate massive turnout .
Advocates were not satisfied that extensive community meetings and other communication efforts had been sufficient .
“ Even with 30 town hall meetings , we were only reaching a small part of the population ,” said Zac Marsh , county administrator .
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And then came the brilliant idea . What about a virtual town hall meeting ? Citizens wouldn ’ t have to go out of their way to attend an event at a fixed time and location . The meeting could go to them via social media .
“ It blew my mind ,” said Commissioner Dean Calvert . “ I said I ’ m willing to do anything we can to get the information out as efficiently as possible .”
Next thing he knew , it was the Sunday afternoon before Election Day . Chris Green , the probate judge and commission chairman , had the county school superintendent and Calvert over to his house for a half-hour conversation about the 1-cent tax .
The hardware was pretty simple – a Samsung tablet and $ 100 microphone from Best Buy . But it was enough to livestream their conversation to more than a thousand viewers using Facebook Live .
“ Within a few days , we had something like 7,000 views ,” Marsh said .
The referendum passed with 57 percent support from voters , and the virtual