Visits help NCACC build relationships in counties

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By Alissa Willett
Legislative Grassroots Coordinator

The Association's Legislative Goals process is thoughtful, deliberative, inclusive and fair. The investment of time and energy, and value of full discourse, strengthens our Association as we navigate the legislative currents.

During a visit to Alamance County, Board Chair Linda Massey (center) and Assistant County Manager Tim Burgess provided a tour of the recently restored Historic Courthouse to NCACC Government Relations team members (from left to right) Alisa Cobb, Latonia Strickland, Kevin Leonard, Alissa Willett, Rebecca Troutman and Amy Bason. (Photo by Jason King)

The process is designed to create an informed grassroots organization and to build a cohesiveness of purpose within the organization that, in turn, grants a degree of credibility to the Association that is unique. After a biennial package of legislative goals has been adopted by the Association's members, the grassroots organization must build strength to carry forward those goals. All counties and county officials are invited and encouraged to participate in grassroots campaigns.

Through our grassroots efforts we aim to encourage our members to be great advocates. Creating relationships between a county official and his or her legislators will strengthen involvement and understanding of goals. We hope to create greater involvement by visiting counties and learning firsthand the issues affecting those counties. Over the past few months, the Association's Government Relations team has visited five counties in the Piedmont and mountains. Three of those visits are reviewed here.

Alamance County opened its doors Sept. 28 to Reps. Alice Bordsen and Dan Ingle and Sen. Rick Gunn, as well as NCACC Government Relations staff. Board of Commissioners Chair Linda Massey coordinated a discussion between department heads, legislators and NCACC staff regarding S433 (Local Human Services Administration) and the Justice Reinvestment Act. Sheriff Terry Johnson led a tour of the county's new jail facility that served as a great educational experience and provided insight into the daily intricacies of running a county jail.

Perhaps the biggest thing that NCACC staff took from the meeting was the relationship in place between the county's legislative delegation and county commissioners and staff. During the session, they meet weekly at a local restaurant just before the legislators drive to Raleigh.

During a Sept. 30 meeting in Edgecombe County, Assistant Manager Eric Evans discussed challenges facing the county as well as successes. According to Evans, Edgecombe leaders are concerned about the escalating costs of unemployment benefits, the strain on local health and human services, and the retirement of a knowledgeable county workforce. Evans said Edgecombe ranks high among counties in HIV cases, and there is growing concern about the abundance of heart disease, stroke and cancer occurrences.

The county is taking proactive steps to achieve better health, and its diabetes education program – made possible by a funding allocation by the Board of Commissioners – has 175 citizens enrolled. All participants' A1C levels have been maintained or lowered since beginning the program.

In Buncombe County on Nov. 1, County Manager Wanda Greene welcomed the Government Relations team to a newly purchased building on College Street for a discussion on job creation and economic development opportunities. Commissioner Ray Bailey stressed the importance of researching all avenues of job creation. Technology, livestock agriculture, manufacturing, the arts, sports, hospitals and tourism are just a few of the avenues county leaders are pursuing.

"No one industry can bring us down, which helps our debt rating and our continued growth," Bailey said.

Mandy Stone, who doubles as assistant county manager and social services director, addressed S433 and the importance of providing counties with greater flexibility in organizing human services. Buncombe's health and human services departments have launched several new initiatives, such as strategically placed kiosks that allow citizens to quickly retrieve health and human services information.

Sheriff Van Duncan provided an overview of the county's feral cat program, which discourages the euthanization of healthy animals by releasing stray cats into friendly communities after they have been immunized. Duncan stressed the importance of housing animal control under the umbrella of the sheriff's office due to the high volume of calls related to animals – the office received 777 animal control related calls in the month of October alone – and the effective manner in which sworn officers can handle such calls.

Each county visit provided the Association with information that will help bolster advocacy efforts. Association staff would like to express its appreciation to officials in each county who took time out of their busy schedules to accommodate a meeting.

If you are interested in learning more about how to get involved with the Association and its grassroots efforts, contact Alissa Willett at (919) 715-7654 or alissa.willett@ncacc.org.