The Association of County Commissioners of Alabama
are
not "We the People" friendly
FIND DOCUMENT SHOWING COUNTY COSTS TO BE MEMBERS OF ACCA
This page is dedicated to showing the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama favors its members over every citizen, "We the People," to a degree that should give all of us serious concern.
The Association County Commissioners of Alabama, (ACCA) was founded in 1929, and has refined their lobbying efforts to become one of Alabama's powerful lobby organizations in the state.
Their website shows organized meetings, classes, legilslative committee (one from each county), everthing a successful organization must do, and their annual convention "at the beach," Frank Dillman of Macon County likes to say..
In reality our tax dollars are availed to the Association via county membership fees to lobby lawmakers for more of our tax dollars. (PLACE COUNTY COSTS AND ANY BALANCE SHEET OR SPONSORS.) Look at the current fuel tax discussion. The Association is in favor of the tax, as they were when they initiatiated the "Amazon" tax. (MAYBE DELETE OR REWORD: Their minons following the lead of their leader to speak with their and other legislators to take money or rights from us thereby engrouging state and county governments.)
This association is not our friend, period, end of discussion. Their website reads "Each year, the Association represents the interest of county government before the Alabama Legislature, seeking to ensure that Alabama laws are written in a manner that is the most favorable to county governments statewide." Their intent as with any union or association is to take care of its members, damn the taxpayers.
The county-paid members receive legal and policy adivce and "outside legal counsel in cases that will have a dramtic impact on couties throughout the state," such as my complaint naming my county commissioners and chairman and the commission as a unit being represented by an ACCA retained attorney.
Our rights are demishing, not increasing with the guiding hand of the ACCA. Perfect example of removing our rights to greater participation in our county government resulted with Amendment 4 of xxx. Since xxx number of counties offered their citizens a right to vote for the Self-Governance Act, which permitted the counties greater access to governing themselves. The Act also provided what could be referred to as Initiative and Referendum (I&R). Initiative = rights of citizens to collect petitions to place county ordinances on the county ballot. Referendum = is the citizen right to ratify or reject county ordinances.
Regrettably legislative referendum Amendment 4 was ratified by voters, thereby removing the right similar to I&R at the county level. There are very few changes from Self-Goverance Act and Amendement 4 except for taking away our rights, few knew of.
Looking at their web site, 9 of their first 16 items, which appears to not be in alaphbetical order, are empowering government. When government grows, citizens lose.
A simple glance at an older page from their website sez it all.
- The association opposes Initiative and Referendum, a citizen's right to place statutes and constitution amendments, ordinaces at the county level, on a ballot and to ratify or reject government's action; letbamavote.org. Citizens in 26 states and DC have this right and we have been denied a simple vote if we want it in our borders since 1901.
- "The Association opposes any effort to establish a procedure for citizens to initiate the enactment, repeal, or amendment of any laws that would impact county government or actions taken by the county commission."
- Recall, "The Association opposes any legislation that would allow for the recall of any elected officials in Alabama."
- Property Rights, "opposes any legislation related to individual property rights that would unnecessarily and unreasonably impede the ability of county government to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, and to carry out its responsibilities as required by the state and federal governments, or that would result in civil action against counties when carrying out such duties." Must rely on standby for government action, "health and safety."
- Condemnation, eminent domain, supporting taking of private property by "county governments in order to provide governmental services to Alabama’s citizens and opposes efforts to enact new constitutional limits on the legitimate utilization of condemnation for governmental purposes." Emphasis provided. Definition of state or county condemnation can have devistating impact on residents (read the paragraph under "Eminent domain conflict) and communities - ensure you re-read the final sentence of the second paragraph. Mississippi
- Open Meetings, "The Association opposes any legislation proposing substantive changes to the Open Meetings Law enacted in 2005."
- Open Records, "The Association opposes any legislation to rewrite Alabama’s Open Records law in a manner that would create unnecessary administrative burdens on governmental entities, allow for frivolous lawsuits to be brought against governmental entities, or provide for fines or penalties against public officials acting in good faith. Additionally, any legislation amending current law must include liability protection for the good faith actions of the county and its officials and employees." Full disclosure, all of these supposedly "burdens" any changes imposing government providing public records is the reason why I am suing Macon County in a non-frivoulous manner costing me as of 13Feb2019, $12K out of my military retirement. Over three years of asking the commission, in letters, using letter to editors, and in my former community column of The Tuskegee News for the street addresses of where my chairman has used county-issued fuel cards is not "frivolous" as well as NEVER getting the FY2018 budget having asked the day before its approval to the day FY2018 expired. I could pick this entire justification for no change apart for reasons why it needs a complete re-write.
- The Future of the Alabama Trust Fund. Each county and city receives a sharing in the "distribution of 10 percent of the annual income of the Alabama Trust Fund" (ATF). Their website goes on say the Association has resisted the withdrawl of funds from the corpus of the ATF, which ultimately will reduce the income and subsequently reduce the annual sharing to counties and cities. However, the ACCA wants "...shift[ing] 20 percent of the corpus of the fund and 20 percent of all future oil lease and royalty payments into the County and Municipal Government Trust Fund. Having their own little nest egg, regardless of future needs of the income, is all about the ACCA.
- Legal Fees or Fines against Counties. The Association opposes any legislative or administrative effort to allow parties to collect attorneys’ fees or other legal expenses from county government and opposes legislation imposing fines against public officials, unless the fines are only against those officials who willfully and knowingly fail to carry out their duties.
I admit the ACCA and its affliates have some strong points for the state of Alabama such as
- Preserving the ATF corpus, unless it benefits the ACCA's members.
- The Association (look up insurance policy)
- What may be more a reasonable insurance policy, however, has a county requested an estimate from a civilian firm. This being a political governmental organization, most of us know third parties can often do more for less than government.
District map http://www.acca-online.org/about/dist_map.html district directors and http://www.alabamacounties.org/about-acca/ Each county is represented on the Legislative Committee, who is your commissioner?
Reaching deep, affiliates 2021 plan Want to know salaries - though some are listed lower than actually are. Some are minimally set by code but in reality salary could be much higher
No more thanks to the continued efforts of the ACCA to grow governments at our expense.
Why shouldn't we have the right to hold our commissioners fully accountable? Simply because of the powerful lobbyist, ACCA wants it so. More on admendment 4 and the Self-Governance Act below.
Do know, most, not if all, of your commissioners and chairman belong to this association. Additionally know, we as tax payers pay all or most of their membership dues from our taken taxes.
History of the association..................
The association not only supports or initiates movement for more taxes, including surrounding the state discussion of an increase of up-to 12-cent, has encouraged commissioner across the state to initiate their own fuel tax. The association has a tracking mechanism for "Danger Bills" and those they and their affiliate associations support
The on-line sales tax was initiated from within the association and I wouldn't be suprised so did the current discussion into the state fuel tax increase.