County Commission | The Magazine October 2017 | Page 29

FROM THE COVER
Voices from the County Courthouse
Convention-goers have said for years that the informal conversations are one of the most valuable
parts of spending a few days with their counterparts from around the state.
“Have you ever run into
something like this?”
“How do you handle
it when ….?”
That was the inspiration behind the inaugural Voices from the County Courthouse session at ACCA’s 89th Annual Convention,
which paired “boots on the ground” county government experts with award-winning NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott.
Because it’s one thing to know the law says you can’t pave a driveway. It’s another thing entirely to know how to
tell your cousin you won’t help with his muddy, uneven, nightmare of a driveway.
What’s special about
leaders who are
“in the game”?
After interviewing countless
elected officials at all levels of
government, NPR National
Correspondent Debbie Elliott said
the distinctions are clear. “There are
the politicians, who are just looking
out for themselves and how they
can use whatever situation to their
advantage, and then there are what
I see as statesmen and stateswomen,
public servants who want to make
government work and work better.”
After a disaster, communities led
by public servants tend to recover
more quickly, she said. More often
than not, these elected officials share
some important characteristics:
1. “They have an intimate and
passionate sense of place about
where they are from.”
2. They know the other people she
will need to interview.
3. “And then they are engaged, and
they try to pull you in.”
Leaders inspire
others and have the
courage to make the
right decision even
when that is more
difficult, said Pike
County Administrator
Harry Sanders. “We’ve
got a lot more to
do than we’ve got
resources to get it
done. I’m sure nobody
else here has that
problem,” he said.
“You really have to be
willing to take some
punches and some
misunderstanding
from the public. That’s not easy. I’ve
seen people take that and still go on
and do a good job.”
Shelby County Commissioner Lindsey Allison (seated on
right) emphasized “relationships, relationships, relationships,”
and Washington County Commission Chairman Allen Bailey
praised the power of unexpected partnerships.
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