County Commission | The Magazine January 2020 | Page 4

President’s PERSPECTIVE
A
Hon. David Money
President
Making our
greatest impact
during the
Regular Session
On every
legislative issue,
unity maximizes
our influence
4 | JANUARY 2020
s your President, I am in
awe every single day of
the good things being
accomplished by the hardworking
men and women of the County
Family. Simultaneously, I am
continually in awe at the many
overwhelming challenges facing
counties on a daily basis.
One major issue that has
been on my mind and the minds
of County Family members for
months now has been our state’s
growing inmate crisis. Since 2014,
the combined cost to operate the
jails and sheriff’s departments in all
67 counties has increased by more
than $63 million.
Put into perspective, on average,
each county has seen jail and
sheriff’s department expenditures
increase by nearly $1 million.
These figures weren’t pulled out
of thin air. These figures were pulled
from our most reliable sources, the
county leaders who work everyday
to balance our limited budgets
across the 67 counties — and these
figures were compiled to create
the Association’s latest research
publication, “Alabama’s Unresolved
Inmate Crisis.”
Those of us charged with
balancing budgets at the local level
know that anything approaching
a million dollars is a huge problem
and that our current inmate “crisis”
is fittingly titled. But legislators,
who create and approve multi-
billion-dollar budgets, have a
different frame of reference and
might not share our viewpoint.
With that said, can you
imagine the insurmountable task
facing a single county visiting the
Statehouse to advocate for help with
their inmate costs?
Thank goodness for this
Association speaking with One
Voice! ACCA collected data from
all 67 counties for purposes of the
research publication, which makes it
possible for us to tell legislators this
is not just a million-dollar problem
in one county but a $63-million
crisis burdening counties in every
corner of the state. Since lawmakers
passed the 2015 Prison Reform Act,
these costs have increased at more
than twice the rate of inflation —
or as I like to say, at the speed of a
race car.
Of course, resolving the inmate
crisis isn’t the only county priority
for the 2020 Regular Session of the
Alabama Legislature, and it’s not
the only issue where we will need to
maximize our impact by speaking
with One Voice. There will be bills
to protect and advance county
government on several fronts —
legislative priorities to expand the
voice of local government on the
Employees’ Retirement System
Board of Control, clarify Rebuild
Alabama bid advertisement
requirements, amend the Ethics
Law revolving door provision and
several others. (For a full list of the
2020 ACCA Legislative Priorities,
see page 13.)
When I began my term as
president, I made a couple points
that are particularly relevant today.
First, we are all called to service in
this Association. The One Voice
of County Government cannot
be effective without commission
members and affiliate group
members from all 67 counties being
active. And second, I once again
ask you to give the best of yourself
during the session. Unity matters
more than ever during those 15
weeks, when we are given the
opportunity to make our greatest
and most long-lasting impact. n