County Commission | The Magazine March 2019 | Page 27

FROM THE COVER
Counties lack land-use authority but are
required to grant initial approval for landfills.
Counties seek to enhance the delivery of
services by improving their public facilities
and programs but often are impeded by
federal and state regulations, inspections,
and prohibitions that do not serve the
public’s best interests. The exercise of extra-
jurisdictional powers by municipalities
further clouds the role of county government.
The Association seeks legislative and
administrative solutions to these conflicts
and encourages all related agencies to
interact with counties to ensure the proper
delivery of services and the enforcement of
requirements and regulations.
Rural Transportation
Foundation Principle: The county
commission is responsible for proper
construction, maintenance, and repair
of all roads and bridges in the county
road system. The Association believes it
is essential that the county commission
have adequate federal, state, and/or local
funding to meet the many needs of its rural
transportation system. Additionally, the
Association believes that, in order to keep
roads and bridges properly maintained for
the safety and well-being of the traveling
public, the county commission must
have broad regulatory authority related to
the use of county-maintained roads and
bridges, including the ability to collect
reimbursement from persons or entities
causing damage to those roads and bridges.
Alabama County Quadrennial Goals
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.
Alabama Governmental Structure
 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.
 To provide a constitutional amendment
to authorize open debate of local
legislation.
sets the hours of operation of county
offices.
 To clarify statutory language related to
use of county warrants and bonds.
 To require municipalities to provide
animal control services within its juris-
dictional limits or contribute a pro rata
share of services provided by the county.
 To clarify the statutory language related
to the County and Municipal Income
Tax Set-Off Debt Collection to allow
local entities with local government
appointed governing boards to
participate in the existing debt recovery
programs.
Mandated and Unfunded Legislation
 To amend the unfunded mandate
constitutional amendment to provide
that the exemption for defining crimes
apply only to provisions of the law
defining or amending a crime.
Revenue Protection
 Support the simplification and
expansion of the Simplified Sellers Use
Tax Program to maximize participation
within the boundaries of the U.S.
Supreme Court’s Wayfair v. South
Dakota decision.
 Support for modernizing the business
licensing process provided it does
not result in a loss of state or local
revenue or repeal existing local business
licensing laws.
County Operations and
Budget Authority
 To provide that the county commission
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