County Commission | The Magazine January 2020 | Page 25

FROM THE COVER
Rural Transportation
n To allow counties to also satisfy the
publication requirements of the public
works law through electronic publication
for all state or locally funded road and
bridge projects by utilizing the procedures
used in the Rebuild Alabama Act.
Alabama
County
Public Policy
Positions
Alabama Governmental Structure
6 Opposition to removing or impeding
local control of the county department of
human resources.
4 Support for continued application of
current constitutional and statutory
provisions providing that elected officials
can be removed from office only through
the process of impeachment.
4 Support for Alabama’s current structure
for enacting or amending state general
or local laws and belief that no provision
allowing for citizen referendum should be
enacted.
4 Belief that individual property rights must
be balanced with adequate means to
protect the health, safety and welfare of
all citizens.
4 Belief that any additional restrictions on
the use of constitutional and statutory
procedures for condemnation of private
property for necessary governmental
purposes will serve to harm the collective
well-being of all citizens.
4 Belief that counties should receive a
portion of proceeds resulting from the
enactment of legislation establishing a
state lottery, gaming, or sports betting
systems and including subsequent
expansion of those systems.
6 Opposition to restricting or limiting a
county commission’s authority to make
independent decisions related to county
Environment, Land Use
and Public Works
n To properly fund the Alabama Disaster
Recovery Program to provide direct
financial assistance to counties and
municipalities following certain disasters
and assistance for certain pre-disaster
event protective measures.
n To repeal the provisions of Alabama law
allowing police jurisdictions and municipal
planning commission jurisdictions to
extend beyond those established on or
before January 1, 2020.
The Public Policy Positions of the Association of County Commissions
of Alabama, established by the membership, direct the Association’s
advocacy efforts in supporting or opposing any policy decisions affecting
Alabama’s county governments. These Policy Positions, derived from the
11 Foundation Principles, address numerous issues from the relationship
between State and local governments to the day-to-day operations of the
county commissions.
property and rights-of-way.
6 Opposition to shifting the control of
county property to the oversight of a
legislatively-established committee or
state agency.
Mandated and Unfunded Legislation
6 Opposition to federal and state efforts to
require county government to assume any
financial or programmatic responsibilities
that are currently financed and/or
administered at the federal or state level.
6 Opposition to any mandated and
unfunded requirement that counties
assume new programs established by the
federal or state government.
6 Opposition to any federal or state
legislative, administrative or regulatory
directives requiring county government
to assume inspection, public safety,
permitting responsibilities or other duties
currently performed by the state or federal
agency.
6 Opposition to any legislative or regulatory
directives requiring counties to provide
housing, supplies, equipment or other
expenses for a county coroner or other
county officers.
6 Opposition to state agencies
administratively eliminating state services
within a county for budgetary or other
reasons without legislative approval.
Revenue Protection
6 Opposition to altering the current interest
rate on tax sale proceeds unless such
change will not result in a decrease in
purchaser participation in tax sales or
reduction in tax sale proceeds paid to
counties.
4 Support for apportioning the full ad
valorem tax collection costs among
all entities entitled to a portion of the
proceeds of the tax.
6 Opposition to authorizing a local
legislative delegation or legislatively-
created committees to direct how local
revenues should be distributed.
4 Support for the principles of the
Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement
provided there is no future effort to repeal
or restrict counties’ authority to collect,
audit and/or enforce local taxes.
4 Support for removing any defects in state
tax laws resulting in a discriminatory
tax structure provided that the removal
eliminates discrimination without creating
new or expanding exemptions or tax
credits.
4 Support for creating a fair and equitable
ad valorem tax system provided it
does not eliminate annual reappraisal,
reduce tax revenues or increase current
exemptions.
4 Support for amending the Taxpayer Bill of
Rights to provide that following an audit
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