County Commission | The Magazine November 2019 | Page 32

NEWS YOU CAN USE He said the county advanced revenue by borrowing about $11 million, which should be repaid in about 8 years. Then, Calvert said, the commission can look at the next step to continue its pledge to be good stewards. The words “67 Counties, One Voice” became the Association’s rallying cry early in Calvert’s commission service, and they sum up the things he appreciates about ACCA — providing custom-tailored education programs for county leaders, alerting him to big issues on the state and federal levels, and influencing legislative decisions that affect county operations. “I’ve just been impressed with that and always have been,” he said. “The training helped make me the commissioner I am today.” Going forward, the issues he is watching most closely are unfunded mandates, inmate reform and successful implementation of Rebuild Alabama, which “is critical to be able to prove to legislators that counties can and will work to implement this program and anything else that comes our way.” Calvert has a “can-do” attitude about needs in his county, and he promised to do the same for all 67 counties. County leaders across the state put him into this leadership post, he said. “They believe in what I can do, and I’m going to do everything I can to prove them right.” n 2016 Sales Tax Referendum in Blount County ACCA Vice President Dean Calvert is understandably proud of the 1-cent sales tax that Blount County voters approved in 2016. Known as the “Moving Blount County Forward Initiative,” it won 57% of the vote on the same ballot with the presidential election. The sales tax proceeds benefit county and municipal infrastructure, public schools and public safety. Advocates conducted 30 town hall meetings around the county plus a virtual town hall two days before the election. As pictured, Probate Judge and Commission Chair Chris Green conducted the 30-minute Facebook Live session from his home with Calvert and the county school superintendent. It was viewed 7,000+ times and received 100+ shares. Much like Rebuild Alabama, road projects funded by the new revenue were recognized with signs as part of the “One Cent Working for You” campaign. Call SunSouth for John Deere product purchasing options to include Cooperative and Alabama Joint County Bid contracts. Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets Group SALUTES THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY COMMISSIONS OF ALABAMA 6145M Tractor HX20 Rotary Cutter PUBLIC FINANCE, TAX INCENTIVES AND CREDIT MARKETS GROUP AUSTIN A. AVERITT, CAITLYN SMITH BURCHFIELD, E. ALSTON RAY, DAVID R. KINMAN Public Finance Legal Services to State and Local Governments • Infrastructure • Education • Housing • Industrial Development • Economic Development Incentives • Structured and Pool Financings • Rate Swaps and Derivatives • Arbitrage Rebate • Utilities • Privatization ONE FEDERAL PLACE Suite 1000, 1819 Fifth Ave. North, Birmingham, AL 35203 Tel: [phone] • Fax: [phone] ButlerSnow.com LAW ELEVATED In compliance with Alabama State Bar requirements, no representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. 32 | NOVEMBER 2019 Daniel Cushman [phone] • [email protected] SunSouth.com