Your week, your story

Get out the good word about your county’s good work during April celebration

Many public opinion polls show that citizens are slowly losing their trust in government. As elected officials, we know how difficult it is to overcome this perception. That is why it is important that counties participate in National County Government Week.

The National Association of Counties has set April 22-28 as National County Government Week. The goal of the week is to “raise public awareness about the roles and responsibilities of counties.”

This event offers counties an opportunity to engage and inform their citizens about the many services and programs offered by county governments. I can’t think of a better way to counter the negative perceptions about government than by having counties tell their own stories about what we do for citizens.

Last year, many counties throughout the state held special events to celebrate county government. Cabarrus County hosted photography and essay contests and asked local residents to depict those features that make the county such a great place to live. Third-graders across the county wrote essays describing the role of their favorite “County Hero” and how this individual serves the community.

Rockingham County held its annual “Students in County Government Week.” The county invited high school students to spend a day touring county government. The event included a mock commissioners meeting with the students presiding. The county also worked with the local newspaper to profile five county employees in separate articles.

Warren County was among the many counties that sponsored a County Government Day at the county courthouse square. Each department set up a booth with information about what the department does. County Manager Linda Jones spoke to citizens, and the honor society from Warren County High School held a mock commissioners meeting.

I encourage all counties to participate in this year’s event and to let your citizens know about the good work that is going on in your county. I also urge all county commissioners to contact schools in your county and volunteer to speak to a class about county government. This would be an excellent opportunity to inform and educate the next generation of adults about the value of county governments.