County Commission | The Magazine May 2019 | Page 4

Pr e si d e n t’ s
H o n. T o n y C h err y
Pr e si d e nt
W e T ur n e d
t h e U nt hi n k a bl e
i nt o R e alit y
A g ai n i n 2 0 1 9
P E R S P E C TI V E
F
or t he past 2 3 ye ars, I’ve
o ffici ate d hi g h sc h o ol
bas ket ball. It gi ves me a
u ni q ue p oi nt of vie w o n te a m w or k
– t he m a gic t h at c a n h a p pe n w he n
at hletes are “i n t he z o ne” a n d
t o get her re ac h t h at ti p pi n g p oi nt
w he n m o me nt u m s hifts a n d t hi n gs
g o t heir w a y be c a use fi ve i n di vi d u als
be gi n t o pl a y as a si n gle u nit.
S o met hi n g s p e ci al h a p p e ns
w he n i n di vi d u als pl a y f or t he g o o d
of t he te a m, n ot t heir p ers o n al
st ats or desires. A c hie ve me nts t h at
s e e me d u nt hi n k a ble o ne mi n ute
b e c o me re alit y t he ne xt.
I n M arc h, we all s a w t he
u nt hi n k a ble i n Al a b a m a fi n all y
b e c o me a re alit y. I n e asil y o ne of
t he m ost c o ns er v ati ve st ates i n
t he n ati o n, st ate le gisl at ors v ote d
t o i ncre as e f u n di n g f or r o a ds a n d
bri d g es, a n d G o v. K a y I ve y si g ne d
t he R e b uil d Al a b a m a A ct i nt o l a w.
Of c o urs e, t he r ati o n al
ar g u me nts were o n o ur si de.
C o u nt y tr a ns p ort ati o n w o ul d
n ot h a ve g otte n a p e n n y m ore
wit h o ut a s et of f a cts t h at m a de a
str o n g c as e f or le gisl ati ve a cti o n.
We will pr o b a bl y re me m b er t hes e
t al ki n g p oi nts f or ye ars t o c o me –
vit al c o u nt y r o a ds o n a 1 1 4- ye ar
res urf a ci n g c ycle w he n t he p a vi n g
m ateri al h as a 1 5- ye ar lif es p a n, a n d
ne arl y h alf o ur bri d g es 5 0 or m ore
ye ars ol d a n d b e y o n d o ver d ue f or
re pl a c e me nt.
B ut f a cts al o ne w o ul d n ot h a ve
b e e n e n o u g h t o stir t he p olitic al
c o ur a g e ne e de d f or t his v ote,
a n d as ele cte d o ffi ci als, we k n o w
t h at f ar b etter t h a n a n y o ne els e.
L o o ki n g b a c k at t he s p e ci al s essi o n
o n i nfr astr uct ure i n vest me nt, m y
f a v orite me m or y is a ct u all y n ot t he
bill si g ni n g, des pite its hist oric al
si g ni fi c a nc e.
R e b uil d Al a b a m a A ct:
T e st a m e nt t o W h at
O n e V oi c e C a n D o
T h e Al a b a m a L e gi sl at ur e p a s s e d t h e R e b uil d Al a b a m a A ct i n M ar c h. D uri n g t h e bri ef
s p e ci al s e s si o n o n i n v e sti n g i n i nfr a str u ct ur e, c o u nt y offi ci al s a n d e m pl o y e e s fl o o d e d
t h e St at e h o u s e.
4 | M AY 2019