Robeson's Woods wins seat on NACo Board

By Todd McGee
Communications Director

Joe Dittmar, a survivor of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, has an important lesson for government officials – life is about choices, and what may seem at the time like a simple decision could have major ramifications.

Dittmar, who addressed attendees July 19 at the NACo Annual Conference in Reno, Nev., was in a meeting on the 105th floor of the South Tower when the first plane struck the North Tower around 8:30 a.m. Participants in the meeting debated whether or not they should stay in the South Tower or leave, not knowing that another plane was bearing down on them. Dittmar said he decided to leave the building, even though debris from the North Tower was raining down outside and many of the people in the meeting thought they were safer staying in the South Tower. Dittmar was on the 75th floor when he felt the impact of the second plane flying into the South Tower. He said only six others of the 54 people at the meeting survived the attack.

“Every decision you make is important,” he said. “No matter how big or small, a decision could cost or save a life.”

Former U.S. Labor Secretary and economist Robert Reich headlined the Opening General Session on Sunday, July 18. Reich, who served under President Bill Clinton, predicted that recovery from the recession would be slow and painful, and that the country faces fundamental economic challenges beyond the recovery, which will require addressing structural long-term debt and creating jobs with good wages.

“The first and immediate challenge is the short-term problem of getting demand into the economy to get people back to work,” he said.

Reich said that consumers represent 70 percent of the economy, and those consumers curb spending out of fear. This creates a vicious cycle – businesses stop hiring because the demand for products and services isn’t there, which compounds high unemployment. He said the biggest mistake of the Obama administration’s economic policy was not making the stimulus package larger than it was. He also added that Congress should keep the George W. Bush-era tax cuts in place for the middle class for the next two to three years while allowing the cuts to expire for wealthy individuals. That could help the economy and not overly burden the highest-income earners, he said.

Robeson’s Woods wins seat on NACo Board

Robeson County Commissioner Noah Woods emerged from a tight race with Viola Harris of Edgecombe County to win one of North Carolina’s three seats on the NACo Board of Directors. Woods and Harris were vying for the seat being vacated by Danny Wright of Vance County. Wright completed his third two-year term on the NACo Board. The NCACC constitution limits representatives to the NACo Board of Directors to three terms.

Glen Whitley, a judge from Tarrant County, Texas, was sworn in as NACo's 2010-11 president at the July 20 business meeting. In his acceptance speech, Whitley outlined a seven-point agenda for his term and set as a goal “not only to be a voice in Washington, but a choice for Washington.”

Chris Rodgers, a commissioner from Douglas County, Neb., emerged victorious in a three-way race for NACo second vice president. Burrell Ellis of DeKalb County, Ga., and Joe Giles of Erie County, Pa., both pulled out of the race before the business session began. Athens County (Ohio) Commissioner Lenny Eliason will serve as first vice president, and Sonoma County (Calif.) Supervisor Valerie Brown will transition to immediate past president.

NCACC staff members were also busy at the conference. Intergovernmental Relations Director Rebecca Troutman participated as a panelist in “The Future of Taxes Is Now” forum on July 19. Troutman described how the shift in consumption from goods to services has affected counties in North Carolina, which does not tax many services. Troutman pointed out that counties cannot increase sales taxes without the General Assembly’s permission, and that volatility in the tangible goods market directly impacts sales tax revenues.

Communications Director Todd McGee moderated a workshop titled, “Everyone’s a Twitter about Facebook and YouTube.” New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield served as a panelist for the session, and he pointed out how he used several social media tools to help his county’s educational efforts for the quarter-cent sales tax referendum that was approved by voters in May.

Wake County Commissioners Joe Bryan and Betty Lou Ward and Librarian Susan Wolf Neilson served as panelists in a workshop titled “Working Smarter: Libraries Partner to Support Workforce Development.” The workshop highlighted how Wake County’s public library system has become a resource for citizens seeking employment. Wake County won a 2010 Outstanding County Program Award from the NCACC for its Employment Assistance Programs initiative.

Hyde County's Spencer lands one of three County Courthouse Awards

Hyde County Commissioner Sharon Spencer was awarded a prestigious County Courthouse Award during the NACo Annual Conference. Commissioner Spencer was honored for spearheading an effort to make county commission meetings more accessible for residents of Ocracoke by arranging for the meetings to be broadcast to the island, instead of requiring Ocracoke's representative to take a three-hour ferry ride – each way – to attend the regularly scheduled Board meetings.

NCACC President Mary Accor accepts the County Courthouse Award on behalf of Hyde County Commissioner Sharon Spencer from SIEMENS Government Affairs Manager Tom Phillips. (Photo courtesy Erik Johnston/NACo)

Spencer was selected as the Rural Action Caucus winner by an independent panel of judges. She was recognized for her dedication to improving the lives of Hyde County's residents, including her work to connect citizens in the community. Spencer established a new system of simultaneous communication between the mainland and outlying Ocracoke Island, enabling county residents to participate in their local government.

The N.C. General Assembly granted Hyde County the ability to conduct Board of Commissioners' meetings via video conference because of the great distance between mainland Hyde County and Ocracoke Island. The system allows for video and audio communication between the Multi-Use Room at the Government Center in Swan Quarter and the Commons Area at Ocracoke School and is utilized by many county agencies.

"On behalf of the nation's counties, I commend Commissioner Spencer for her outstanding leadership in connecting Hyde County residents and involving them in their local government," said NACo President Valerie Brown. "This will benefit Hyde County for many years to come and will help make community life vibrant and engaging."

Established in 2001, County Courthouse Awards recognize elected county officials who demonstrate innovative and effective leadership to improve the quality of life of their residents. One County Courthouse Award is presented each year in three categories: Rural County, Suburban County and Urban County. Each winner receives a $5,000 college scholarship to present to a local student of his or her choice. The awards are sponsored by Siemens and presented by NACo's Large Urban County Caucus and Rural Action Caucus.