County Commission | The Magazine November 2019 | Page 13

FROM THE COVER
Ivey’s Outstanding Contribution
to County Government
In accordance with tradition, ACCA presented a plaque to Gov. Kay Ivey in recognition of her
outstanding contribution to county government. In addition, because passage of the Rebuild
Alabama Act required an extraordinary team effort, she also received a special baseball
jersey bearing number 19 to represent the year the law was enacted. (Photo: Governor’s Office)
A
CCA bestowed its highest
honor on Gov. Kay Ivey this
year, recognizing her dedication
to boost investment in Alabama’s
county roads and bridges.
The governor accepted the
Outstanding Contribution to
County Government Award at
ACCA’s 2019 Annual Convention in
August, and she received a standing
ovation from the County Family.
In 2019, Ivey was out front,
rallying support for a gas tax
increase and calling the Alabama
Legislature into special session to
focus on the issue. In March, she
signed the Rebuild Alabama Act into
law.
But to appreciate the magnitude
of Ivey’s contribution, it is necessary
to look back to 2017, said ACCA
Executive Director Sonny Brasfield.
That was an eventful time
for Ivey, who began the year as
Alabama’s lieutenant governor. That
spring, then-Gov. Robert Bentley
was removed from office and Ivey
stepped up to become Alabama’s
chief executive. At the same time,
ACCA was advocating for a gas tax
increase, a forerunner of the Rebuild
Alabama Act.
Outstanding
Contribution to
County Government
2019
presented to
Gov. Kay Ivey
“Our original bill was slated
to be on the floor of the House of
Representatives three weeks and a
day after Kay Ivey was sworn in as
Alabama’s governor,” Brasfield said.
“She was at the Statehouse, with her
staff, advocating for the bill as soon
as she came into office.”
Ivey demonstrated genuine
courage, he said. “She didn’t take any
polls. She didn’t try to find out what
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