County Commission | The Magazine January 2020 | Page 24

FROM THE COVER
Alabama
County
Quadrennial
Goals
Alabama Governmental Structure
n To shift the statutorily-required
publication of legal notices from a
“newspaper” to publication on a website
maintained by the state or by each
individual county.
n To provide a constitutional amendment to
authorize open debate of local legislation.
Mandated and Unfunded
Legislation
n To amend the unfunded mandate
constitutional amendment to provide that
the exemption for defining crimes applies
only to provisions of the law defining or
amending a crime.
Revenue Protection
n To modernize the business licensing
process provided it does not result in a
loss of state or local revenue or repeal
existing local business licensing laws.
n To update the process for appointing
and compensating the members of the
County Boards of Equalization to ensure
the efficient operation of the tax appeals
process by attracting the appointment of
qualified persons.
County Operations and
Budget Authority
n To provide that the county commission
sets the hours of operation of county
offices.
n To clarify statutory language related to
use of county warrants and bonds.
n To require municipalities to provide
animal control services within its
jurisdictional limits or contribute a pro
rata share of services provided by the
county.
County Expenditures for
Compensation and Benefits
n To amend the statute regarding the
24 | JANUARY 2020
With the start of each quadrennium, the Association membership and its
affiliate organizations come together to analyze the global state of county
governments in Alabama. The results of this collaborative effort are
compiled into the Quadrennial Goals set out below. Throughout the four
years of the quadrennium, the membership will prioritize and advocate
for legislation to achieve each of these goals. As the quadrennium
progresses, the membership may elect to add, amend or update these
goals to ensure they adequately reflect the needs and condition of
Alabama’s 67 county governments.
appointment of members to the Board
of Control of the Retirement Systems
of Alabama to more closely reflect the
employing agencies of the participating
members of the system.
n To repeal the so-called revolving door
provision of the Alabama Ethics law for
public employees who become employed
by other public employers.
Economic Development and the
Alabama Trust Fund
n To shift 20 percent of the corpus and
future oil lease and royalty payments of
the Alabama Trust Fund into the County
and Municipal Government Trust Fund,
which would thereafter operate as a
separately-maintained Trust Fund for
counties and municipalities.
Election Administration
n To eliminate the requirement that the county
commission set and fund school tax
elections for municipal school systems.
n To amend Alabama law reforming the
current Board of Registrar system
to provide more accountability, state
and local oversight, and minimum
qualifications for appointments.
n To allow the county commission, in its
discretion, to assume responsibility for the
absentee election function when there is a
change in the office of circuit clerk.
n To remove the authority for the Secretary
of State to decertify poll books being
used by county election officials, if such
equipment was approved at the time of
purchase.
Alabama’s Prisons and County Jails
n To clarify that persons on parole,
probation or participants in diversion
programs are legally and financially
State inmates for all purposes even
when held for temporary confinement
in the county jail or awaiting hearing or
transfer to a state facility.
n To amend Alabama law to limit the
medical service costs for an individual
in county custody at an amount not
exceeding Alabama’s Medicaid rates
and fees.
n To repeal the intermediate sanction
provisions of the 2015 Alabama Prison
Reform Act requiring counties to hold
prisoners awaiting transfer to State
custody for the 45-day periods of
incarceration for probation or parole
violations.
Justice and Public Safety
n To improve and expand spay-neuter
services throughout the state, provided
there is no requirement that counties
fund such services.
n To establish a statewide uniform pistol
permit fee provided that current local
laws on distribution are not repealed and
that all fees collected are distributed to
local government.
n To amend current Alabama law to create
a more equitable financial allocation
between local and state governments
for the housing, medical care and
transportation of juveniles participating
in the juvenile justice system.
n To clarify that juveniles held in regional
detention facilities awaiting court
ordered transfers to local or state
diversion or treatment programs are the
legal and financial responsibility of the
state.
n To provide specific liability protection for
those opening buildings or shelters to
the public in times of impending disaster
events.
n To authorize Emergency Management
Agency vehicles to utilize emergency
lights and sirens in accordance with
emergency vehicle standards.