County Commission | The Magazine April 2020 | Page 4

President’s PERSPECTIVE
I
Hon. David Money
President
Good Employees
are the Key to
Good Government
Affiliate Groups
Essential to ACCA’s
Effectiveness
4 | APRIL 2020
wish I knew the origin of the
phrase “pillar of the community.”
In the book of Revelation, the
faithful are promised that they will be
pillars of the temple, so the basic idea
must extend pretty far back.
Pillars occupy a place of essential
importance, and it’s no stretch of the
imagination to say there are pillars
of the ACCA, starting with every
commission member who shoulders
some form of leadership responsibility
within the Association — whether
on the Board of Directors, Legislative
Committee, insurance boards, or
one of the many other committees or
groups essential to our success.
However, I think you would
agree with me that elected officials
cannot successfully do their job alone.
At the Convention this past August,
I told you that “good employees are
the key to good government,” and, of
course, there were nods of agreement
throughout the ballroom.
You know this is true at the
local level, and trust me when I say
it is equally true at the Association
level. We have five professional
organizations for county staff and
their leaders, collectively known
as affiliate groups, who deserve
recognition as pillars of ACCA:
• Association of County
Administrators of Alabama
(ACAA)
• Association of County Engineers
of Alabama (ACEA)
• Alabama Association of
Emergency Managers (AAEM)
• Alabama Association of 9-1-1
Districts (AAND)
• County Revenue Officers
Association of Alabama (CROAA)
All too often, these groups are
unsung heroes, and that’s why I’m
so glad this issue of the County
Commission Magazine spotlights
them and their critical contributions.
Certainly, the ONE Voice of county
government would be far weaker
without them.
Rebuild Alabama grew out of
the work of our county engineers
group. The constitutional amendment
protecting counties from unfunded
mandates is a result of the work of
our county administrators group.
And as for the stable funding
provided to 9-1-1 services in all 67
counties, despite the dramatic decline
in landline phones – well, we have
our 9-1-1 group to thank for that.
In addition, just this month, Gov.
Kay Ivey signed a bill to establish
a statewide emergency notification
system. This new law was one
of ACCA’s Legislative Priorities
for 2020, and its origination can
be traced back to our group of
emergency managers. And let’s not
forget that every time legislation
threatens county sales taxes, we rely
on information and advocacy efforts
from our county revenue officers,
who always make a strong case for
protecting our limited revenue.
My heart truly overflows with
gratitude to the affiliate group
members for their invaluable
contributions to their home counties,
to the ONE Voice and, ultimately,
to all 67 counties. I’m also grateful
to the ACCA leaders through
the years who saw the wisdom in
organizing these affiliate groups.
And I would be remiss if I did not
mention the gratitude to my 350 or
so county commission colleagues
throughout this great state. Without
a doubt, if my fellow commission
members did not recognize that
affiliate group participation is an
essential part of county employees’
daily responsibilities — not just
some extracurricular activity — then
county government in Alabama
would not be nearly as forward-
thinking, successful and respected as
it is today. n