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QuickTakes

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES ■ WASHINGTON, D.C. VOL. 40, NO. 14 ■ JULY 14, 2008

See ERIC COLEMAN page 2

See CONFERENCE page 6

See GRANTS page 8

One California county makes check-ing out library books as easy as getting cash at an ATM. >> Page 4

NACo Executive Director Larry Naake says Congress needs to restore the partnership with rural counties and schools. >> Page 2

Emergency supplemental measure included, and excluded, several provisions of interest to county governments. >> Page 3

Glen Whitley details his platform as candidate for NACo second vice president. >> Page 5

NACo’s 2008 Annual Confer-ence in Jackson County (Kansas City), Mo. kicked off Friday, July 11 with numerous steering com-mittee meetings and the National Association of County Record-ers, Election Offi cials and Clerks (NACRC) opening session.

Educational SessionsFriday and Saturday offerings

included various full and half-day pre-conference seminars in addi-tion to a full schedule of meetings. Friday also featured the NACo Technology Summit.

Two rounds of workshops followed the opening General Session of the conference on July

NACo 2008 Annual Conference kicks off with tech summit

MSA PercentEl Centro, Calif. 18.4Merced, Calif. 12.3Yuba City, Calif. 11.8Yuma, Ariz. 11.22Modesto, Calif. 10.7

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008(*not seasonally adjusted)

BY CARRIE CLINGAN

COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATE

NACo recently announced the recipients of the Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative (CCRI) and 2008 Five Star Restoration Program grants. NACo and its partners will award a total of more than $500,000 to 16 high-quality, community-led projects to support marine habitat and wetlands restoration in counties across the nation. (See sidebars for winners.)

NACo awards $500,000+ for wetland restoration

Q: How would you describe your year as NACo president?

My year as NACo president was awesome (as my teenage daughter would say) in many ways. First of all, I got to do what I love most — which is meet and talk with people from all over the country. We exchanged ideas, solved problems and had a great time.

Eric Coleman describes year as president ‘awesome’

MSAs with the highest unemployment ratesApril 2008*

13, topics included best practices, implementing green policies, ag-ing out of foster care, the ethanol debate between the environment, food and fuel.

The conference mixed things up a bit July 14 with half-day mobile workshops in addition to hotel-based ones on immigration, reduc-ing wildfi re risk and restoring the partnership for inmate health care. Mobile workshops included tours of regional sustainable projects and community health centers. The day also featured a symposium on housing and the economy.

Guest speakersEach day of the conference began

with a General Session, featuring well-known scheduled speakers, including David Walker, former comptroller general of the United States, on July 13. In his post as seventh Comptroller General, Walker was also head of the U.S. Government Accountability Offi ce (GAO). He was to speak about the federal budget and the current state of economics in the U.S.

The July 14 general session was a double bill. Archaeologist Brian Fagan, author of Drought: The Silent Elephant in the Climatic Room, planned to discuss the

Eric ColemanNACo President 2007-2008

Photo courtesy of Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association

The Kansas City Convention Center, site of NACo’s 2008 Annual Conference, Meeting and Exposition, is topped with four dramatic sculptures titled “Sky Stations/Pylon Caps.”

2 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •

Human Traffi cking kits must be ordered by July 31 to receive discount

Michael Cory Davis, a featured speaker at the upcoming NACo Annual Conference, is offering a 35 percent discount to all NACo members for his Presenter’s Kit, a series of DVDs on the issue of human traffi cking. The original price of $269.99 is reduced to $175.50 for NACo members. The kit can be used to educate the community on the sexual exploitation of children, among others.

Each fi lm included in the three-disk box set provides a different perspective on the world of human traffi cking and includes hard-hitting facts, visual imagery and personal stories from victims and victims’ advocates. The kit also includes a 30-page training guide so anyone may become a presenter on this issue.

To receive the 35 percent discount, NACo members must order the kit before July 31. To purchase the Presenter’s Kit, call 310/217-7654 or e-mail sales@istoptraffi c.com.

In Case You Missed It ...News to Use from Past County News

Restore thePartnership

Secure Funding Soon for Rural Schools

BY LARRY NAAKE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Until this Congress, one of the longstanding partnerships between the federal government and county governments involved funding for roads and schools in rural areas where the federal government

had established National Forests.Historically, these counties received 25 percent of all revenues

generated from the management of our National Forests to support public roads and public schools. This revenue-sharing mechanism offset the effects of establishing the Federal Forest Reserves (153 million acres), which removed these lands from economic development.

The program worked well until the 1990s. Following steep declines in timber revenues (and subsequent declines in county payments), the Secure Rural Schools program was passed by Congress in 2000 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on Sept. 30, 2006. It provided rural, National Forested counties, with a funding safety-net based on historic timber production levels.

Secure Rural Schools (SRS) expired in 2006. However, Congress provided a one-year funding extension for the program in the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Ac-countability Appropriations Act.

But this year, Congress appears to have turned its back on the needs of those counties, leaving more than 700 counties and 4,400 school districts in 39 states in fi nancial limbo as they approach the end of their fi scal years.

A bill introduced nearly a year ago by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), which would have provided longer-termed funding for SRS, failed on the House fl oor June 5.

Another effort was mounted to include at least a one-year fi x in the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. Unhappily, the provision for the $400 million short-term fi x was dropped in fi nal negotiations from the $186.5 billion Emergency Supplemental Ap-propriations bill (H.R. 2642).

As many of you may know, NACo has lobbied Congress over the last several years on a multi-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.

This crucial partnership for many of our members prompted NACo’s Board of Directors to include SRS on its list of top legislative priorities for the association.

So far, Congress has failed rural counties across the nation by seeming unable to provide a multiyear reauthorization of the program, or even a one-year extension.

Yet, there’s still time before November’s elections for Congress to restore the partnership and send to President Bush a bill that keeps faith with our rural counties and funds the Secure Rural Schools program.

These counties and communities deserve that much respect.

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BY MARILINA SANZ

ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

The bipartisan bill, Fostering Connections to Success Act (H.R. 6307), recently passed by the House, includes provisions that directly address concerns raised by NACo President Eric Coleman’s Youth Aging out of Foster Care Initiative. Most signifi cantly, it would allow states to extend federal foster care payments for youth up to age 21.

“I am very pleased that the House has passed the Fostering Connections to Success Act,” said Coleman, com-missioner, Oakland County, Mich. “NACo applauds the leadership of Congressmen McDermott and Weller for their bipartisan leadership on behalf of young people.” Rep.

Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) chairs the House Ways and Means Com-mittee’s Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee. Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) is the subcommittee’s ranking member

The bill also includes other NACo-supported provisions such as a state option to extend federal foster care payments for kinship guardian-ship and an extension of the guard-ianship and adoption assistance payments for youth up to age 21 who have entered into a guardian-ship arrangement or were adopted after they turned 16. The bill also expands and reauthorizes adoption incentives, which are scheduled to sunset this year.

In a letter of support for H.R. 6307, Coleman said these provisions

Aging out of foster care addressed in House legislation

Secondly, the year was awesome because it stretched my abilities and gave me the opportunity to test my leadership. I can honestly say that I grew some in my abilities and learned some unique skills.

Last but not least, I was given the chance to help others with my initiatives and the many programs NACo offers to its members.

Q: What was the most challenging part of your role as president?

Without a doubt, my most challenging opportunity arose my fi rst day in offi ce. It gave me the chance to address various issues with the NACo Bylaws, which govern the election process and credentials committee respon-sibilities. With the help of the Presidential Blue Ribbon Com-mittee headed by Karen Miller, past president, and the Credential Task Force, headed by Mattie McKinney-Hatchett, all issues were resolved successfully.

Q: What did you fi nd most interesting or exciting?

The most exciting and reward-ing time occurred when I learned that bill H.R. 6307, the Fostering Connections to Success Act, sponsored by Reps. Jim McDer-mott (D-Wash.) and Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), was successfully passed in the House. Several signifi cant provisions of the bill addressed my initiative, Youth Aging Out of Foster Care.

right opportunity presents itself, I will be open to the idea.

Q: Any fi nal thoughts?Finally, I would like to say this

has been a fantastic journey thanks to all the people who helped make it so. I am pleased with the success of my initiatives, Youth Aging Out of Foster Care, headed by Roger Dickinson of Sacramento County, Calif.; Campaign Against Sexual Exploitation, headed by Dr. Nancy Boxill of Fulton County, Ga.; and the Hospital Task Force, headed by Greg Goslin of Cook County, Ill, with the successful programs NACo fostered and deeply touched by all the friends I have made. I will always cherish this period in my life as a milestone achieved. Thank you all!

“will improve outcomes for foster children and youth and reduce their risk of homelessness, joblessness, incarceration and welfare depen-dence.”

The purpose of NACo’s year-long Youth Aging Out of Foster Care initiative has been to raise awareness among county offi cials about the plight of young adults aging out of foster care, identify promising county practices that support them as they transition to independent adulthood, and enlist county offi cials in a call to action to take a leadership role in their communities to improve outcomes for foster youth.

The Senate Finance Committee is working on a draft of similar legislation and is expected to act before the August recess.

ERIC COLEMAN from page 1

Eric Coleman refl ects on NACo presidencyQ: What advice would you give your successor?

To my successor I would say be ready for a fast, exciting ride that is both thrilling and reward-ing; a year goes by fast. Don’t hesitate to call upon past NACo presidents for their wisdom and assistance. Be prepared for the unexpected.

Q: What’s next for Eric Coleman?

I don’t really know what is next for me. It seems in the past that I am in the right place at the right time as opportunities arise. I have been asked to consider various elected offi ces, locally and nationally, by various groups and individuals. However, I am sure that when the

• County CountyNewsNews July 14, 2008 3

President | Eric Coleman

Publisher | Larry Naake

Public Affairs Director | Tom Goodman

Executive Editor | Beverly Anne Schlotterbeck

Senior Staff Writer | Charles Taylor

Staff Writer | Elizabeth Perry

Graphic Artist | Jack Hernandez

Editorial Assistant | Matthew Fellows

ADVERTISING STAFF

Job Market/Classifi eds representativeMatthew Fellows

National Accounts representativeBeverly Schlotterbeck

(202) 393-6226 • FAX (202) 393-2630

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Supplemental bill blocks Medicaid cuts, drops rural school fundsBY PAUL BEDDOE

ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

The war supplemental-funding bill, a $162 billion package signed by President Bush late last month, included, and excluded, several provisions of interest to county governments.

First, the good news The bill places a moratorium —

sought by NACo — on six of the ad-ministration’s new rules that would cut federal Medicaid reimbursement, effectively shifting costs to states and counties. The bill also expands education benefi ts for veterans who have served since September 11, and extends unemployment benefi ts by 13 weeks.

The moratorium prevents cuts to county hospitals and other “safety net” providers including proposed elimination of Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments, which support safety-net hospitals that train physicians.

It would also block the imple-mentation of several other regula-tions that would limit the ability of schools to help enroll children in Medicaid and coordinate their health care services; rehabilitation services

provided to people with disabilities, especially those with mental illness and intellectual disabilities; case management services for the elderly, children in foster care and people with disabilities; and specialized medical transportation services for children. The moratorium extends to April 1, 2009.

“I am extremely pleased that a compromise has been reached,” said Lee County, Fla.’s Bob Janes, chairman, NACo Health Steering Committee.

hundreds of rural counties and schools across America.

The bill’s final version also failed to stop two Medicaid rules from going into effect. One rule, the so-called “outpatient rule,” imports the Medicare defi nition of services into Medicaid outpatient reimbursement. It therefore elimi-nates dental and vision services payments. The outpatient rule also excludes services provided

King County, Wash.’s E-911 System and Ramsey County, Minn.’s Emergency Communications Cen-ter are among fi ve Public Safety Answering Points, or PSAPs, selected from among 50 applicants by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to test data transmission.

Starting last month, three testing laboratories and the fi ve PSAPs began transmitting data as the Proof of Concept portion of the DOT’s Next Generation (NG 9-1-1) Initiative.

The objective of the Proof of Concept is to test selected requirements including:

the ability of PSAPs to receive voice, video, text • (IM, SMS) and data

improving 9-1-1 access for deaf/hearing-impaired • (e.g., Video Relay Services, text messaging)

caller’s location identifi cation for landline, • wireless and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 9-1-1 calls

direct transmission of telematics data such • as crash location, speed, vehicular rollover, crash

velocity to the PSAP (Advanced Automatic Crash Notifi cation)

9-1-1 call routing and call transfer based on • caller’s location, and

Internet Protocol (IP) networking and security.• Data gathered during the exercise will be used to

revise and complete the project’s preliminary system architecture and transition plan.

The NG 9-1-1 initiative will establish the founda-tion for public emergency communications services in a wireless mobile society.

The nation’s current 9-1-1 system is designed around telephone technology and cannot handle the text, data, images and video that are increas-ingly common in personal communications and critical to future transportation safety and mobility advances.

The DOT’s NG 9-1-1 Initiative is a research and development project funded by the Intelligent Transportation Joint Program Offi ce.

To learn more, go to www.its.dot.gov/ng911/.

Counties test data transmission for U.S.DOTSpeedRead »»»

» The bill places a moratorium on six of the administration’s new rules that would cut federal Medicaid reimbursement

» Secure Rural Schools funding re-quest of $400 million was dropped

» Rescission of limits to SCHIP program also dropped

“This will go a long way to prevent the problems that counties were going to face if these Medicaid regulations had gone into effect. We will continue to work to deal with the pending regulation on outpatient services, but for the time being, I congratulate the president and both parties in the House and Senate for fi nding their way to a satisfactory agreement.”

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said he was pleased the Senate has given fi nal approval to a provi-sion he had been fi ghting for that would prevent more than $180 million in Medicaid cuts to New Mexico. Bingaman had introduced a stand-alone measure (S. 2460) to prevent the public hospital cost-limit regulation from being implemented, and had worked in the Senate Finance Committee to block the Medicaid cuts.

Now the bad newsSenators had included a num-

ber of other domestic spending priorities in an earlier version of the supplemental, but House Democratic leaders stripped most of them out in negotiation with the White House and Republican leaders. One of the measures dropped was $400 million for a one-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act (SRS).

The House removed the SRS funding from the supplemental after a deal was struck between House leadership and the White House. Without an extension of SRS, counties will face an inevi-table funding crisis that will affect

by hospitals in outpatient clinics that are not hospital departments, therefore preventing hospitals from serving people in less expensive community settings.

This regulation could result in cuts to services for Medicaid recipients in 17 states: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Ten-

nessee, Utah, Vermont, Washing-ton and Wisconsin.

Another rule now set to go into effect eliminates payments for Graduate Medical Education in the outpatient setting.

The State Children’s Health Insur-ance Program (SCHIP) also took a hit as negotiators dropped from the bill a rescission of an administration policy limiting eligibility for the SCHIP known as the “August 17 directive.”

4 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •

the interrelated federal goals of enhanced cable competition and accelerated broadband deploy-ment.

The order addressed several ways by which local franchising authorities are (in the FCC’s view) unreasonably refusing to award competitive franchises. These include drawn-out local negotia-tions with no time limits, unrea-sonable build-out requirements, unreasonable requests for in-kind payments that attempt to subvert the 5 percent cap on franchise fees and unreasonable demands with respect to public, educational and government access (or PEG).

To eliminate the unreasonable barriers to entry into the cable market perceived by the FCC and to encourage investment in broadband

facilities, the commission found that:

Franchising negotiations that • extend beyond certain time frames amount to an unreasonable refusal to award a competitive franchise within the meaning of Section 621(a)(1)

Requiring an applicant to • agree to unreasonable build-out requirements constitutes an unreasonable refusal to award a competitive franchise

Unless certain specifi ed costs, • fees and other compensation required by local franchising authorities are counted toward the statutory fi ve percent cap on franchise fees, demanding them could result in an unreasonable refusal to award a competitive franchise

Sixth Circuit denies petition over FCC actionThe 6th U.S. Circuit Court

of Appeals rejected an appeal of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order on video franchising brought by the national associations representing local governments June 27. The court said: “We fi nd that the FCC acted well within its statutorily delineated authority in enacting the order and that there exists suf-fi cient record evidence to indicate that the FCC did not engage in arbitrary and capricious rulemak-ing activity. Accordingly, we deny the petitions for review.”

The video franchising order preempts local government rules, regulations and statutes regarding the entry of competitive video service providers into their com-munities. A local government must

grant a franchise within 90 days for a company with existing permis-sion to be in the right of way, and 120 days for a new entrant or be subject to FCC sanctions.

In the order, the FCC concluded that the current operation of the franchising process constitutes an unreasonable barrier to entry that impedes the achievement of

SpeedRead »»»

» Court turns down local govern-ments’ challenge to FCC video franchising rule

» Public, educational, governmental (PEG) and institutional networks (I-Nets) may no longer be required as part of a franchise agreement

It would be an unreasonable • refusal to award a competitive franchise if the local franchising authority denied an application based on a new entrant’s refusal to undertake certain unreasonable obligations relating to public, educational and governmental, (PEG) and institutional networks (I-Nets), and

The FCC order preempts • local laws, regulations and requirements, including local level-playing-fi eld provisions, to the extent they impose greater restrictions on market entry than the rules adopted in the order.

Barring additional appeals the, FCC order is in effect, and becomes the process for new entrants into the video service arena.

BY CHARLES TAYLOR SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Passengers on one of the longest transit commutes in the country can now get a little something extra on their Bay Area Rapid Transit rides — a library book “to-go” — thanks to the Contra Costa County, Calif. Public Library and BART.

County offi cials say they were the fi rst in the nation to install an ATM-style, book-lending machine at a commuter rail station when it went into service recently.

“Our strategic plan specifi cally emphasizes not only commuters but taking services where our customers are as opposed to having them come directly to us,” said Cathy Sanford, deputy county librarian.

Dubbed Library-a-Go-Go, the $100,000 machine currently holds about 370 popular paperback titles — ranging from Eat, Pray, Love, the Elizabeth Gilbert bestseller, to La Sombra Del Viento (The Shadow of the Wind), a Spanish novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

The majority of the funding for this and other planned installations in the county came from a $288,000

‘Vending’ machine provides transit riders with books to-go

“When I retired, my county librarian asked if I would write a grant to get the machine,” Westberg recalled. “So I did, and it was approved; so that’s how it happened.”

The machines operate much like ATMs, except patrons swipe their library cards. “There’s a digi-tal reader that you use with your library card,” Sanford explained. “It identifi es you; it gives you an

option of what you would like to check out or borrow, and you make a selection, and it dispenses the materials to you in a plastic box.” To return a book, the steps are essentially reversed.

Sanford said there’s no worry about fi ne-delinquents checking out books. The machine inter-acts with the library’s circulation system in real-time, so if someone owes big fi nes: Sorry, no book.

Library Services and Technology Act grant, which is federal money “funneled through the state.”

“We’ve really had somebody else pay for this, except for our time, of course, and development,” Sanford said.

The state also provided fund-ing for more rural Yuba County to install one of the machines in a community center in the city of Wheatland, where it’s called GoLibrary. Yuba’s is a built-in wall installation. Contra Costa’s is free-standing.

“We see this as a way to put the fundamental resources of a library into our smaller communities,” Yuba County Librarian Loren MccRory said in a news release. Contra Costa and Yuba are conducting a pilot for the state library system, to see if the technology can be deployed more widely.

Rose-Marie Westberg brought the idea back from a trip to her native Sweden a few years ago, when she held Sanford’s current job. She had read about the Stock-holm Public Library’s Bokomaten machines — in Sweden, ATMs are called Bankomaten.

So far, the installation at BART’s Pittsburg/Bay Point sta-tion, 48 miles from San Francisco’s airport, has been a rousing success, Sanford said. One recent day, 240 of the machine’s books were in circulation.

“We’ve already been asked by people, ‘Can you please get this at another BART station?’” Sanford said. “I can’t tell you how many libraries and other transit agen-cies have contacted me, so it’s already generating a lot of buzz and interest.”

Luna Salaver, a BART spokes-woman, said, “I really strongly believe that having the Library a-Go-Go … on our system is a great enhancement for BART and our patrons.” The machines can benefi t the environment, as well, she added — “having a good book to read that is literally steps away from your regular routine.”

“Instead of having to get into your car after you ride the train and drive to a library to get a book or drive to a book store, you could get a book, check it out and then return it in between riding your regular commute train.”

Federal D. Glover is chair of Contra Costa’s Board of Supervi-sors. “This is a fantastic idea,” he said recently. “It just makes so much sense to bring books right to the people, especially in the Bay Area where we average the second longest commute in the country.”

(For more information about Library a-Go-Go, contact Cathy Sanford at 925/927-3228 or csanford@ccclib.org.)

County News invites

Do you have a com pli ment, com plaint or diff er ent point of view? ... LET US KNOW.

Please in clude a phone num ber with your letter. Mail, fax or e-mail to: Coun ty News, NACo, 25 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Wash-

ing ton, DC 20001; 202/393-2630; cnews@naco.org.

Letters Letters to the Editor to the Editor

Photo courtesy of Contra Costa County, Calif.

A Contra Costa County, Calif. library patron tries out Library-a-Go-Go, a book-lending “ATM” installed at a Bay Area Rapid Transit Station in the county. Rural librarians also see promise in the machines.

• County CountyNewsNews July 14, 2008 5

» Gary McGraneCommissionerFranklin County, Maine

NACo Board of Directors

Profi les Profi les inin ServiceService

Number of years active in NACo: 12

Years in public service: presently serving my 20th year

Occupation: staff associate, University of Maine, Bureau of Labor Education

Education: associate’s degree in business management, bachelor’s degree in public administration and presently working on my master’s degree in public administration

The hardest thing I’ve ever done: is admit when I am wrong.

Three people (living or dead) I’d invite to dinner: Louise Erdrich, Geronimo and Carlos Castenada

A dream I have is to: keep an open mind and work to change those things I can change.

You’d be surprised to learn that I: am a Native American.

The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done is: climb a moun-tain.

My favorite way to relax is: to play golf.

I’m most proud of: my wife, children and grandchildren.

Every morning I read: my e-mail.

My favorite meal is: lobster and clam dinner.

My pet peeve is: people who are negative.

My motto is: “Learn something new every day.”

The last book I read was: The Broken Cord.

My favorite movie is: Smoke Signals.

My favorite music is: blues.

My favorite president: has not been elected yet.

Act, with Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.). The bipartisan bill alters rules that force counties to cover medical care costs for inmates who have not been convicted of a crime.

These are expenses that should be shared by the federal government and other jurisdictions. The current rules are an unfair burden on coun-ties. This is an example of restoring the partnership between counties and the federal government and rais-ing awareness of lawmakers about the role of county government.

Counties are the “front door” to many services. They keep records safe, build roads and operate courts, sheriff ’s departments and jails. They protect the public health and provide some vital health care needs and social services. Together, taxpayers and local governments share this economic burden and responsibility.

Citizens and people at all levels of government need to know and appreciate how county government affects their daily lives. That is what raising awareness is all about. Coun-ties will become stronger through a dynamic and ongoing public education campaign to increase the awareness of all citizens and lawmakers.

Counties must be vigilant about homeland security and emergency preparedness. We are constantly reminded of how important it is to re-spond quickly to hurricanes, fl oods, fi res, tornadoes and earthquakes. Consider the recent fl oods in the Mid-west. We are often confronted by the great need of people affected by such disasters and we must improve how we handle the fi nancial aftermath. In addition, we must prepare for the possibility of a pandemic illness that would not respect borders. When the time comes, we need to unleash a swift and effective response.

NACo must remain committed to protecting Medicare and Medicaid and community development block grant programs and work to end homelessness in America.

We need to strengthen our com-mitment to green building programs, smart growth and sustainable com-munities. This makes sense and will pay for itself as the energy costs to operate buildings and vehicle fl eets increase. We must take advantage of emerging ideas and new technolo-gies. This is key to securing a healthy

economic future for our counties and a quality, affordable lifestyle for our citizens.

We need to encourage counties to engage in collaborative partnerships to promote green building design and practices, smart growth and sustainability. Remodeling, retrofi t-

taught me how to resolve problems in favor of both rural and urban interests.

I know that when it comes to fi nding solutions to problems that America’s counties face, one size does not fi t all. Solutions to rural problems have their own dynam-ics and parameters, as do urban problems. Some solutions must be tailored to specifi c circumstances.

Also, protecting Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) to counties with non-taxed federal properties is essential in some areas. In these economic times counties must do everything possible to protect rev-enue without increasing the burden on taxpayers.

In the past decade, I have chaired the Transportation Steering Committee and served on several signifi cant NACo committees in-cluding Finance, the Large Urban Caucus Steering Committee and Member Programs and Services. In addition to being a member of the NACo Board of Directors, I chaired the 2006-2007 Strategic Focus Coordination and Oversight Committee.

In my 11 years of leadership and involvement in NACo, I have come to value how our organization acts as a resource for local elected offi cials. NACo must continue to unite rural and urban interests and to speak for all people and all regions of our country, providing valuable policy analysis and programs.

As a county judge and chief executive, I preside over Tarrant County from the county courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas. It is a county with 1.7 million residents in the heart of a metropolitan center hold-ing more than 6 million people.

As your NACo 2nd vice presi-dent and as a part of the national leadership team, I will keep NACo focused on serving all of America’s counties.

Let’s work together in NACo, making it as inclusive an organiza-tion as possible. To that end, in my 2nd vice president’s campaign this year, I chose not to travel to indi-vidual state association meetings. By example, I want to encourage broader candidate participation in NACo elections by discouraging costly campaign travel.

I urge you to join me in working to secure our future and NACo’s future by giving me your vote to become NACo 2nd vice president at the NACo Annual Conference in Kansas City. I pledge to work with everyone to make this great organi-zation even better. I look forward to seeing you in Kansas City.

Glen WhitleyNACo 2nd vice president candidate

‘08 Platform for NACo 2nd Vice President

In my experience, the best moments for county offi cials are when they can work together to solve problems. We now have that opportunity to work together on some most important issues.

My 2nd vice president’s plat-form puts forth steps we can take to strengthen our counties and to engage our collective ability to get good results from our work.

Folks, this is a diffi cult time for our counties and their residents.

Soaring fuel prices and lower home values are squeezing budgets. State and local governments face revenue shortfalls. Rising costs for healthcare and transportation improvements, pension liabilities and volatile fi nancial markets add to the uncertainty.

Yet, as always, America’s coun-ties must provide services they are expected to provide. NACo is more important than ever. We need to use NACo as our advocate to achieve

the best outcome for our taxpayers and our counties.

We must restore the partnership between counties and the federal government, states and cities. It goes hand-in-hand with raising awareness about the services county government provides. Raising awareness and restoring the partner-ship is at the core of enabling coun-ties to meet the changing demands of our modern society and a focal point of my campaign.

Far too often, county efforts go unnoticed. Sometimes, when federal and state lawmakers pass unfunded mandates to counties, lawmakers assume the job will get done, even if they do not provide the necessary funds.

Recently, Broward County, Fla. Commissioner Ilene Lieberman and I had the opportunity to urge Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), to cosponsor the Restoring the Partner-ship for County Health Care Costs

ting or trying to change existing developments is too costly.

Resource-saving measures are vi-tal. We must reduce water consump-tion, protect and preserve habitat and pursue low-impact development that encourages mixed-use practices in sustainable communities. We must cut traditional energy use and pursue renewable and alternative energy supplies and more fuel-effi cient ve-hicle fl eets. These efforts are tied to improving air quality.

NACo’s Green Government Initiative is a beginning. We must urge counties to develop programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. NACo must be a leader in showing counties how to tailor programs to fi t their specifi c needs.

In an effort to protect taxpayers, it is important that NACo provide counties with insights and initiatives that increase the effi ciency of our services. Whether through lobbying efforts to head off unfunded man-dates or through joint purchasing efforts, NACo must recognize that elected offi cials have an obligation to keep tax burdens low. We must do what we can to deliver services at the lowest possible cost.

I pledge to work by consensus and do what it takes to serve rural and urban interests in a unifi ed way. My experience and knowledge gained in providing leadership on transportation issues, from the lo-cal level to the national level, have

Keep up with NACo online ...

www.naco.org

Glen Whitley

6 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •

Democratic National Convention Republican National Convention Denver, Colo. St. Paul, Minn. August 25–28 September 1–4

If so, NACo would like to invite you to a NACo-sponsored reception honoring county offi cials. ____ Yes, I will be attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

____ Yes, I will be attending the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Name: _____________________________________________________________________Title: ______________________________________________________________________County: ___________________________________________________________________Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________________________________________ Fax: ______________________________________________________________________ Email: _____________________________________________________________________

Please fax this form to NACo Convention Staff at 202/942-4281, or leave a message on the NACo Convention Hotline at 202/942-4290

For further information contact:

Democratic Convention: Bob Fogel, 202/942-4217Republican Convention: Ryan Yates, 202/942-4207

Will you be attending the 2008

Democratic or Republican National Convention?

lessons for the future in a time of global climate change and Michael Cory Davis, writer-director of CAR-GO – Innocence Lost, was scheduled to talk about his award-winning documentary on sex traffi cking. The fi lm includes interviews with some of the country’s top offi cials, victims’ advocates and victims who were rescued in Texas.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, histo-rian and author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and Ashley Rhodes-Courter, author of the memoir, Three Little Words, were to speak on July 15; Kearns Goodwin, on the topic of the leadership lessons to be learned from Abraham Lincoln, and Rhodes-Courter on her book, which details her life as a foster child over nine years and 14 placements.

Conference speaker to discuss life as foster childCONFERENCE from page 1

BY JULIE UFNER

ASSOCIATE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

The House Appropriations Committee unanimously passed a $33.3 billion spending bill for the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill that would

CBG program was fi rst authorized (but not appropriated) in Public Law 110-140. It would primarily help larger populated cities and counties address energy effi ciency and emissions concerns based on allocation levels.

Additionally, the Appropriations

Energy, water development bill passed; EECBG to get $295Mprovide $27.2 billion for the En-ergy Department in FY09. This is $2 billion more than the Bush administration’s request and $2.4 billion more than 2008 enacted levels. The big money winners were renewable energy and energy effi ciency programs. Renewable

energy and conservation research and development programs walked away with $1.6 billion.

Most notably for counties, the bill contains an initial startup com-mitment of $295 million for the Energy Effi ciency and Conserva-tion Block Grant program. The EE-

Committee approved $5.3 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers. This includes more than $2 billion for fl ood control projects, including fl ood protection.

The fate of this House bill re-mains uncertain as Congress starts to wind up the 110th Congress.

NACo urges you to contact your senators, especially those on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development to urge their support for funding the EECBG program.

If your senators do not serve on the subcommittee, please urge them to talk directly with the Ap-propriations Subcommittee Chair Bryon Dorgan (N.D.) to highlight the importance of funding the EECBG program.

• County CountyNewsNews July 14, 2008 7

BY AMY L. SOLOMON AND JENNY W.L. OSBORNE

This April, President Bush signed the Second Chance Act, which aims to reduce repeat of-fenses and help prisoners rejoin their communities. Support for Second Chance was refreshingly bipartisan in the House and Senate. And in a historical shift, the legislation cast a wide net to address reentry not only for the 700,000 people released from prisons each year but also the nine million men and women exiting local jails.

This distinction between state prisons and local jails is crucial — and the new focus on jails is a wel-come one. Nationally, jails process as many people in three weeks as prisons do in 52. Put another way, nearly 95 out of every 100 people leaving lock-up are released from county and city jails, not state and federal prisons.

With a healthy push from NACo’s Public Safety Steering Committee several years ago, the Urban Institute sought support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and partnered with the Montgom-ery County, Md. Department of Correction and Rehabilitation and John Jay College of Criminal Justice to bring national attention to this topic.

A Jail Reentry Roundtable was held in 2006 and recently released

Reports detail re-entry issues and opportunities

two reports that are the fi rst compre-hensive resources on the challenges and opportunities of reentry from local correctional systems. Life after Lockup: Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community highlights local reentry efforts around the country.

The Jail Administrator’s Toolkit for Reentry is a practical guide for local correctional professionals dealing with reentry issues. (To access the two reports, go to www.urban.org Find Research Issues Crime/Justice Corrections/Prisoners.)

As the reports detail, prisons and jails face different challenges and opportunities, requiring distinct responses. The average prison stay is 2.5 years. In jails, approximately 80 percent of inmates are out in less than a month, leaving little time for treatment programs or job training. And while prisoners have already been sentenced for serious crimes,

60 percent of the jail population has not been convicted.

Also, released prisoners are typically supervised by parole offi cers. Often, those let out of jail do not have supervision after release, though jails have a high-needs population similar to that of prisons. Sixty-eight percent of those jailed have substance abuse or dependency problems, 60 percent lack a high school diploma or GED, and 16 percent grapple with serious mental health problems.

In the year before incarceration, 30 percent had been unemployed, another 30 percent were under-employed and 14 percent were homeless. Most jails lack the time and capacity to tackle inmates’ deep-rooted problems.

This is where local community organizations come in — providing

services on the inside that can con-tinue on the outside. Why would local agencies want to get involved with jail inmates? For starters, agencies such as workforce devel-opment programs, and family and child welfare services are already working with the jail population and their families.

Since repeat offenders tend to be heavy users of human ser-vices already, the main challenge is strategically coordinating those supports to keep this population out of the corrections and social service systems. This insight has guided reentry initiatives in several locali-ties. And early research suggests the approach holds promise.

For example, a University of Pittsburgh evaluation of the Allegheny County, Pa. Jail Col-laborative, a partnership involving the county jail and the human services and health departments, shows signifi cant reductions in crime and spending.

Recidivism among a group of 300 inmates who received assess-ment, planning and intervention as-sistance through the collaborative dropped by 50 percent, amounting to annual savings for Allegheny County of more than $5.3 million. These benefi ts could expand greatly if the approach is taken to scale in counties around the country.

Multiplying such gains will

require changing the way local gov-ernments, community organizations and jails prepare inmates for their transition home. This is no easy feat, since there are 3,365 independently operated U.S. jails. But dotting the country are jurisdictions — large and small, urban and rural — where community agencies have banded together with local jails to reduce recidivism, increase employment, reduce homelessness and improve public health.

If Congress funds the authorized $320 million for the Second Chance Act, it could speed adoption of local reentry initiatives. But even small, low-cost changes can make a difference, such as giving inmates information about local service providers and making sure they leave jail with valid IDs.

Stints in jail can be much more than temporary time-outs. They represent opportunities to intervene in nine million lives, start dealing with pressing risks and needs, and reduce repeat offending — creating safer, healthier communities for all of us.

(Amy L. Solomon and Jenny W. L. Osborne are researchers at the Urban Institute and coauthors of Life after Lockup: Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community. An earlier version of this commentary appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer.)

Restore the PartnershipRestore the PartnershipA Campaign to Reestablish the Federal - County Partnership

Learn more by visiting www.naco.org

For decades, county and federal governments have worked together to answer the challenges facing the nation, but in recent years that partnership has diminished.

To foster better coordination, NACo has launched a campaign to “Restore the Partnership” between the Federal government and America’s counties.

Amy L. SolomonUrban Institute

Jenny W.L. OsborneUrban Institute

8 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •

in 12 counties across the country to help implement locally driven wetland and watershed restoration projects.

Five Star Restoration projects involve a high degree of coopera-tion with local governmental agen-cies, elected offi cials, community groups, businesses, schools and environmental organizations work-ing together to improve local water quality and restore important fi sh and wildlife habitats.

The Five Star funds that are made available act as seed money that leverages additional funds and services. On average, each dollar of Five Star-sponsored funds leverages four additional dollars in matching contributions provided

by local restoration partners in the form of funding, labor, materials, equipment or in-kind services. As of this year, communities have committed more than $26 million in matching contributions to these projects.

Since 1997, NACo has helped fund projects in 118 counties across the country, providing nearly $1.2 million for community-based environmental restoration and education.

(For more information about the Five Star Program and the Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative and how to apply, please contact Carrie Clingan, commu-nity services associate, at 202/942-4246 or cclingan@naco.org.)

Coastal restoration grants exclusive to NACo member countiesGRANTS from page 1

CCRI provides grant funding for marine habitat restoration projects on a competitive basis to innova-tive, high-quality, county-led or -supported projects that support wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration and removal of passage barriers to fi sh migration. Only NACo member counties or their partners are eligible for the grant awards.

CCRI is a partnership between NACo and NOAA’s Community-

Mendocino County, Calif. ($100,000) for its Ancestor Creek • Migration Barrier Removal Project

Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District of Sonoma County, • Calif. ($31,020) for its Dutch Bill Dam Removal Program

Town of Sandwich, Massachusetts Department of Natural • Resources of Barnstable County, Mass. ($33,600) for its Restora-tion of Fish Passage to Upper Shawme Pond

Clackamas County, Ore. Department of Transportation and • Development, ($50,000) for its Kleinsmith Culvert Replacement project

Floridan Resource Conservation and Development Council, • Inc. of St. Johns County, Fla. ($28,350) for its North Peninsula State Park Saltmarsh Restoration Project

Coastal Beach and Bay Foundation, Financial Adminis-• trator for Bay Harbor Improvement Association of Galveston County, Texas ($50,000) for its Bay Harbor Habitat Restoration Project.

Roanoke County, Va. ($10,000) for its Taylor Tract Park • Wetland Restoration and Enhancement Project

Miami Science Museum of Miami-Dade County, Fla. • ($25,000) for its Reclamation Project

University of Kentucky Research Foundation of Fayette • County, Ky. ($20,000) for the Millcreek Elementary Stream and Wetlands Restoration Project and Outdoor Classroom

Southwest Environmental Center of Doña Ana County, • N.M. ($15,000) for its La Mancha Wetlands Project

Jefferson Parish, La. Department of Environmental Affairs, • ($23,800) for its Bayou Segnette Cypress Plantings

Uncompahgre Plateau Project in Delta and Montrose • counties, Colo. ($40,000) for its Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Invasive Species Control and Restoration Project

Escambia County, Fla. Neighborhood and Environmental • Services Department ($40,000) for its Jones Creek East Stream Restoration Project

Dekalb County, Ga. ($17,500) for its Evans Mill Historic • Site Riparian Restoration

Georgia Wildlife Federation of Newton County, Ga. ($40,000) • for its Alcovy River at East End Wetlands Restoration

Upper Oconee Watershed Network of Clarke County, • Ga.($14,800) for its Trail Creek Riparian Buffer Restoration

Five Star Restoration Program Grantees

CCRI Grantees

BY MATTHEW FELLOWS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

County executives from New York’s Nassau and Suffolk counties plan to formally appeal the U.S. Census Bureau’s March popula-tion report in response to the fi ndings of a similar report from the Long Island Regional Planning Board (LIRPB). The planning board’s fi ndings indicated that the counties may have lost a combined $165 million in federal aid over eight years due to an undercount in the 2000 Census.

The Census Bureau estimated a population increase of more than 33,000 in Suffolk County and a decrease of approximately 28,000 in Nassau County between 2000–2008. It used administra-tive records, immigration data, year-to-year reports and Internal

Revenue Service data, known as the Administrative Records Component Method, to arrive at its numbers.

The Long Island Power Au-thority (LIPA), however, which calculates population using the number of new building permits, certificates of occupancy and utility records in conjunction with census data, estimated Suf-folk County’s population to have increased by more than 85,000 and Nassau County’s by nearly 20,000 during the same time period.

The LIPA approach is con-sidered to be more hands-on and therefore more reliable because it uses active utility, building permit and occupancy data and not sim-ply existing paperwork, Nassau and Suffolk offi cials claim.

“Every shred of evidence points to the fact that Suffolk

based Restoration Program. The partners selected the winning proj-ects from an extremely competitive pool of 52 applications.

NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program is providing major fi nancial support for the in-dividual projects with grants rang-ing from $31,020 to $100,000.

Consideration for funding is based upon the level of county leadership and the ecological benefi ts for a community’s coastal and marine resources.

Projects may take place in any

of the nation’s 3,068 counties, and the program is a partnership between NACo, the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, the En-vironmental Protection Agency, the Wildlife Habitat Council, and corporate sponsors Southern Company and Pacifi c Gas and Electric.

Five Star PartnershipThis year, as a part of the Five

Star Partnership, NACo will award approximately $250,000 in grants that will support 11 projects located

N.Y. counties to challenge census population estimates

is growing at a much higher rate than the Census Bureau estimates,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy in a press release. “We plan to make Washington well aware of this fact, and we will fi ght for money that rightfully should go to [the counties],” he added.

Local government challenges to census estimates are not uncom-mon, since population estimates are crucial to the funding formulas of many federal grants and affect reapportionment and redistricting as well.

In 2006, for example, seven counties challenged the Census Bureau’s estimates, Broomfi eld County, Colo.; Douglas County, Kan.; Jefferson and Rockland counties, N.Y.; Christian County, Ky.; Lancaster County, S.C. and Cache County, Utah.

Uncompahgre Peak in Colorado is the sixth highest mountain peak in Colorado and is the highest peak of the San Juan Mountains. It is located in northern Hinsdale County. Its broad summit plateau lends its name to one of this year’s Five Star grant-winning projects — the Uncompahgre Plateau Project in Delta and Montrose counties, Colo. The counties’ specifi c project — Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Invasive Species Control and Restoration Project — is part of a broader ongoing restoration effort in the plateau.

• County CountyNewsNews July 14, 2008 9

Financial Services News

How it worksIf your plan has a loan option

(they aren’t required to), you generally can borrow from your retirement account, subject to the following limitations:

How much: Up to half your vested account balance or $50,000, whichever is less.

How long: For anything other than the house you live in, the loan must be paid back in fi ve years (loans for your principal residence still have to be repaid within 15 years).

Interest rate: It depends, but your local bank’s “prime” rate plus 1 percent is typical.

Your program also may impose a minimum amount for the loan ($1,000 is typical), as well as charges for processing your loan request.

The advantagesIt’s easier than getting a loan •

from the bank. It’s cheaper than running up •

your credit cards.

Repayment is generally via • convenient payroll deduction, and

You are, effectively, paying • yourself back, with interest.

So what’s the catch? Simply stated, you may be taking money away from your best investment option — dramatically slowing your rate of retirement savings — and replacing it with money that is more expensive than you may think.

The disadvantagesLet’s assume the following: You

want to borrow $10,000. You will pay it back over fi ve years, and you will pay that money back at a 5.75 percent interest rate.

If you left that $10,000 in your retirement plan, and it earned 8 percent during that period, it would be worth more than $14,600 at the end of the fi ve years.

In order to pay back that $10,000, plus interest, you will have to come up with more than $11,500

Borrowing from Yourself Isn’t Always a Smart BetThings are going along just

fi ne. You’ve been paying your bills, putting food on the table, setting aside money for retirement. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, here comes an emergency expense.

It could be any number of things — the kids need braces, your car breaks down, the house needs a new roof — or maybe your variable rate mortgage has proven to be more “variable” than you thought.

When you’re a bit strapped for cash, it may be tempting to think about dipping into your deferred compensation (457) or 401(k) retirement account. Taxes and penalties generally discourage people from taking an outright withdrawal, but a growing num-ber of retirement programs offer temporary access to those funds through what is called a partici-pant loan.

However, before you take such a “dip,” you might want to consider the potential cost.

over the next fi ve years — but you’ll have replaced what could have been $14,600 in retirement savings with just $11,500.

If you change jobs, the note on your outstanding loan generally will have to be paid off immediately. That means you will have to either come up with the money or have the outstanding balance taken from your existing retirement plan balance. That’s because, while you have effectively borrowed money from yourself, you actually bor-rowed money from the plan, and that has to be paid back. You can’t just decide to let things slide.

Unfortunately, once that loan is charged off against your account, you will have to pay taxes on the amount, which the Internal Rev-enue Service now considers to be a taxable distribution.

The bottom lineWhile it may seem like a good

idea to borrow from your 457 or your 401(k), remember:

The money you take from your retirement account is not earning tax-sheltered returns, so it will take you longer to achieve your retirement savings goals.

You repay the loan with money from your own pocket — money that you have paid taxes on — and will pay taxes on again when you actually withdraw the money at retirement.

If you change jobs, you will probably have to pay back the remaining amount of the loan immediately — or have it netted against your current retirement plan balance — and, in either case, will have a tax bill to settle with the IRS.

(This article is reprinted with the permission of PLANSPONSOR magazine, which has served retirement plan sponsors with news and insights since 1993. The premier monthly publi-cation reports on the pension industry. This article originally appeared in the June 2008 issue.)

10 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •

NACo’s FREE e-mail subscription manage-ment service sends e-mail updates* when-ever new information is posted on NACo’s Web site so you can be the fi rst to know.

It’s EASY to sign up for updates by clicking on the “Personalized E-mail Update: eSub-scribe” icon on the homepage or on one of the many “E-mail Update” icons located throughout the site.

You can choose from nearly 50 update topics, including:

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• County CountyNewsNews July 14, 2008 11

News From the Nation’s Counties

CALIFORNIAALAMEDA COUNTY Super-

visor Nate Miley says a proposed “bicycle event” law will address the concerns residents living along rural roads who have long complained about cycling group rides.

“We want people to ride bicycles, and not to impose unfair burdens on people who live along (rural) roadways,” Miley told the Daily Review.

Under the proposed law, adver-tised rides with 50 or more riders would need to apply for a $189 per-mit from the sheriff ’s offi ce and pay another $150 to post informational signs along the route.

According to the sheriff ’s offi ce, approximately 20 group rides occur annually, with hundreds and thou-sands of riders cycling along rural roads each time. Residents have complained through the years that the cyclists dump trash, clog narrow roads and urinate in public.

FLORIDABROWARD COUNTY Com-

missioner Josephus Eggelletion Jr. is proposing a county ordinance that would require retail businesses to install and use 24-hour surveillance camera systems to protect shoppers in parking lots. A public hearing is set for Aug. 12 on the matter.

The ordinance came about after Broward County Sheriff Sgt. Chris Reyka was gunned down in a convenience store parking lot last August, and a mother and her young child were found murdered inside their car at a mall last year. No arrests have been made in either incident.

Eggelletion said that if there had been cameras in the parking lot, law enforcement would have had more information to work with to track down Reyka’s killers.

ILLINOISWILL COUNTY Veterans As-

sistance Commission, along with two state agencies are making it easier for veterans to get certifi ed copies of their military discharge papers, or DD-214’s. According to HeraldNewsOnline.com, a new technical system in the Recorder of Deeds Offi ce enables state and Will County veterans assistance offi ces to download, print and certify public documents.

Jim Denbow, superintendent of the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission, said his offi ce helps more than 6,500 of the 42,000 Will County veterans each year. Before the new system was implemented vets could only go to Joliet to get certifi ed copies, now they can get

most of their documents in one place.

MINNESOTA• The HENNEPIN COUNTY

Board recently rejected a measure to move part of Rockford city out of Hennepin and into WRIGHT COUNTY by a vote of 6-1. Ac-cording to the Star Tribune, the commissioners have said in the past that approving such a measure could set a precedent that would unleash “a cascade of changes” to Hennepin.

“There are others that are similarly situated,” Mike Opat, commissioner, told the Tribune. “Sometimes the folks that are more rural might identify more with the rural counties, and there shouldn’t be an option to just let them out when they feel that way.”

Most of Rockford lies within Wright County. The total popula-tion is 3,800, but just 400 residents and 91 property parcels are across the line in Hennepin.

• ANOKA COUNTY recently broke ground on its new Sheriff ’s Offi ce and regional forensics lab. The 135,000-square-foot building is expected to open in fall 2009.

The Star Tribune said the county received $3 million of a $6 million state bond request, and that the rest of the $24 million construction cost will come from Anoka County capital improvement funds.

SHERBURNE and WRIGHT counties will contribute to the operating costs for the new facility, which they will share with Anoka. Among the services the lab will be able to provide are fi ngerprint and DNA analysis, and drug testing. The lab will also include the Anoka Public Safety Center and a satellite classroom for Hamline University students.

NEW YORKMasonic Care Community’s

Acacia Village is switching coun-ties, reported Utica’s Observer-Dispatch. Residents voted 52–7, with one abstention, to approve the annexation of 225 acres of tax-exempt Masonic property in Frank-fort (HERKIMER COUNTY) into Utica (ONEIDA COUNTY).

Utica Mayor David Roefaro said that the annexation shouldn’t put a strain on services since Utica regularly responds to fi res in the area anyway. Masonic attorney Michael Getnick said the annexation should help both counties because it will allow expansion plans to go forward and increase employment oppor-tunities. The annexation should be completed within 30 to 60 days.

OHIOMyOhioNow.com, a group plan-

ning a casino in CLINTON COUNTY, said it has the 400 signa-tures needed to put the issue on the statewide ballot in November, the Dayton Business Journal reported.

The project, in partnership with the Minneapolis-based Lakes Entertainment Inc., would feature a 220,000-square-foot casino, with approximately 5,000 slot machines, 100 table games, a 20-table poker room, a 1,500-room suite hotel, restaurants, bars, retail shops, a spa, an entertainment complex and a golf course.

If the project passes, as an amendment to the state’s constitu-tion, revenue from the casino would be shared with all 88 counties in the state. Voters, however, have defeated other gambling issues in 2006, 1996 and 1990.

SOUTH CAROLINABEAUFORT and JASPER

counties just got a little smaller thanks to a vote by the Hardeeville City Council to annex 282 acres in the counties’ unincorporated areas, according to the Beaufort Gazette. Approximately 207 acres of the land are in Jasper County and 75 in Beaufort County.

The city also approved an Atlanta-based company’s plans to develop the property.

TEXAS• The Dallas Morning News re-

ported that DALLAS COUNTY offi cials are considering new ways to collect an estimated $240 mil-lion in unpaid traffi c tickets and court fi nes.

In order to recoup $177 million in unpaid traffi c tickets, county offi cials are considering numerous options including getting warrants issued faster, getting the state to block driver’s license renewals quicker as well as having it block vehicle registrations, and expand-ing the online payment system and creating an amnesty window.

Under the current system, the county sends a letter warning that a warrant will be issued for the person’s arrest if a ticket is not paid on time. If ignored, the warrant is issued and the account is turned over to the collection fi rm, adding a 30 percent fee.

“We’re going to fi nd a way to get tougher,” said Allen Clemson, the Commissioners Court admin-istrator.

• LUBBOCK COUNTY com-missioners are considering a four-day work week at the courthouse to save the county and its employees

some money, reports the Avalanche-Journal. Commissioners are explor-ing whether the savings justify the decrease in accessibility and are asking for input from department directors throughout the county.

Commissioner Bill McCay estimates closing the courthouse on Fridays could save the county between $4,000 and $10,000 per month in heating, cooling and fuel costs for county vehicles. The shorter work week could also save county employees up to 20 percent in their own fuel costs.

UTAHThe UTAH COUNTY Com-

mission voted unanimously to commit $500,000 in restaurant taxes toward installing a $4 million air-traffi c radar to Provo Municipal Airport, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported. The county’s payments will be made over three years, based on the Federal Aviation Administra-tion’s schedule for getting the system ready by the end of 2010.

The county currently sits in a

»New Kent County, Va.

What’s in a Seal?

The seal was designed and drawn by New Kent resident Edward M. Kurzman and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in February 1979. The following was written by Kurzman to describe the seal:

“The three fi gures represent the strength and courage it took mankind, with homemade implements, faith and the love of freedom, to carve a future out of a wilderness and bring us to the pride and stature we have today.

“The progress and future of the county can only be believed in and appreciated by the monuments in the county, such structures as The Old Tavern, the many beautiful old plantation houses and the fi ne old churches still standing today to indicate the strength, pride and faith of a united people.

“The Native American represents those who were here when the white man came, and whose daughter, Pocahontas, saved the life of Captain John Smith in this very county and from whom the settlers learned many things about survival in the wilderness.

“The black man represents all black people who lived and worked in this area, and through their blood, sweat and tears contributed greatly to the building and development of our many natural resources.

“The white man came fi rst from England and then later from other countries, all with the same hopes and dreams for a new life with political, economic and religious freedom.

“Our inheritance from the Native American, the black man and the white man studying, working and worshiping together is the culture shared in New Kent County today — the pride in the past gives faith in the future.”

(If you would like your county’s seal featured, please contact Matthew Fellows at 202/942-4256 or mfellows@naco.org.)

www.newkent.net

Model Programs From The Nation's CountiesModel Programs from the Nation’s Counties is on vaca-tion. It will return with the Aug. 4 issue.

See NEWS FROM page 13

12 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •

NACo Healthy Counties Databasewww.healthycounties.org/database

Check out NACo’s new Healthy Counties Database!Search over 100 model policies, programs and

initiatives from counties across the nation.

www.healthycounties.org/database

We are continually seeking county submissions in order to build the database. Please submit or nominate best practices to Christina Rowland at crowland@naco.org or 202.942.4267.

Is Your County Interested In...Childhood Obesity PreventionCreating Healthy CommunitiesBuilding Robust EconomiesAgricultural Preservation

• County CountyNewsNews July 14, 2008 13

NACo on the Move»In the News

Jacqueline Byers, research director, was quoted in the July 1 USA Today about the rising popularity of the four-day workweek in response to increased energy demands and a need to conserve resources. “[Counties] like it for a couple of reasons. They’re not able to give raises, so this is like a bonus, to cut off one day’s commute. Also, if they can close a whole department [for a day], they save money for the county,” she said.

»NACo Officers and Elected OfficialsDon Stapley, president-elect, spoke at the business meeting of the

Florida Association of Counties Annual Conference in Miami-Dade County, Fla. June 26.

Colleen Landkamer, immediate past president, participated in the European Union Rural Development Study Tour in Bel-gium, Germany and France July 7–11. The trip, sponsored by the German Marshall Fund and the Rural Policy Research Institute, brought together a high-level delegation of leaders from USDA, agricultural interest groups and organizations committed to rural development issues to learn about best practices in the EU.

»NACO StaffRuth Nybro has joined NACo as its director of Education Ser-

vices. She replaces Sandy Clark, who will retire this month. Nybro has an extensive background as a training and development specialist, having worked for the State University of New York, Purchase Col-lege and with the Intervillage Continuing Education program in Westchester County (Ardsley), N.Y. Earlier in her career, Ruth worked for a Private Industry Council.

Paul Beddoe, associate legislative director, gave a presentation on efforts to block proposed cuts to Medicaid to the New Mexico Association of Counties (NMAC) Health Care Affi liate June 19 and a legislative update to the NMAC Board of Directors on June 20 in Doña Ana County (Las Cruces), N.M.

Erik Johnston, associate legislative director, discussed the NACo-led Campaign for a Renewed Rural Development’s efforts on the 2008 Farm Bill and the continued need for increased rural development funding at the European Union Rural Development Study Tour in Belgium, Germany and France July 7–11.

»Coming UpAndrew Goldschmidt, membership/marketing director, will

attend the South Carolina Association of County Commissioners’ Annual Conference Aug. 1 in Beaufort County to present two work-shops on the NACo Prescription Drug Discount Card Program.

(On the Move is compiled by Matthew Fellows, editorial assistant.)

NEWS FROM from page 11

Counties considering local storm water regulations

“radar shadow,” where air-traffi c controllers in Salt Lake City cannot see any aircraft in the county fl ying below 9,000 feet. Planes must wait for a 20-minute gap in air traffi c before taking off from the Provo facility.

“Our intent is that [the airport] become a regional airport,” said Commission Chairman Gary Anderson. “With the companies that we want in the county, we need that radar.”

WASHINGTONAccording to the Kitsap Sun, a

coalition of Western Washington counties may pool their resources to develop storm water rules that would be less burdensome than those imposed by the state.

By next summer, smaller cit-ies and counties must adopt the state’s 2005 storm water manual, similar to KING COUNTY’S,

or rules that are equivalent under federal requirements enforced by the Washington Department of Ecology. The new rules will require larger (and more costly) storm water ponds than under the current system.

“We want to do it right,” said KITSAP COUNTY Commis-sioner Josh Brown, “but we want to take into account local excep-tions. Does a manual designed for an urban county like King fi t with a rural county like Kitsap or Jefferson?”

Kitsap County is one of more than 20 local governments that have challenged the requirements. The ap-peal is scheduled for October by the Pollution Control Hearings Board.

(News From the Nation’s Counties is compiled by Elizabeth Perry, staff writer, and Maggie Perrigo, Public Affairs intern. If you have an item for News From, please e-mail eperry@naco.org or mperrigo@naco.org.)

TB? Is That Still Around?Research News

In March, the Centers for Dis-ease Control (CDC) released an article called Trends in Tuberculosis — United States, 2007. The report was released to coincide with World TB Day, March 24. This report provided information about tuberculosis in America that few people realize. For many, TB, or “consumption,” as it was called for many years, is a disease of the past, but for others it is a current reality.

In 2007, the TB infection rate for foreign-born people in the U.S. was nearly 10 times that of U.S.-born people. The rates among Hispanics and Asians exceeded the national rate of infection which in 2007 was 4.4 cases per 100,000 people. American-born blacks have the highest rate of infection among native-born Americans, at nearly eight times that of American-born whites. This disparity is being stud-ied by a special CDC consortium which, working with state and local partners, is targeting early diagnosis, prevention and treatment in the African American community.

Although the TB incidence rate in 2007 was the lowest since CDC began its national recordkeeping in 1953, its decline has slowed in recent years. Rates reported by 29 states and the District of Columbia

indicate lower incidences in 2007 than in 2006, but 21 states had higher rates during that same period. Five states, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas, reported 52 percent of all cases, with each state exceeding 500 cases.

Most TB cases were reported among Hispanics and Asians, with more than 51 percent of cases re-ported in people born in Mexico, the Philippines, India and Vietnam.

In recent years, the growing diversity in counties across the na-tion has created an upswing in the number of TB cases. The National Association of City and County Health Offi cials, representing lo-cal public health offi cials, has long supported increased funding for TB programs through public health program support from the federal government, and through local gov-ernment funding and support.

Counties combat TBSeveral counties have estab-

lished strong TB programs that are designed not just for treatment but for education of patients about how TB is contracted. In Palm Beach County, Fla., the mission is to identify and manage those people who have already been diagnosed and to provide preventative treat-

ment to those who are at risk of developing the disease. This county program also extends its services to private physicians who are treating TB patients.

Niagara County, N.Y. has cre-ated a TB program where the pri-mary goal is community awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease. The program staff also uses early detection along with targeted testing in vulnerable communities and preventative treatment to try to control the spread of the disease. By using aggressive monitoring, which includes visits from a public health nurse fi ve days a week to those infected to assure that medication is being taken properly, the county has been able to prevent mass outbreaks and to decrease the transmission of the disease to others.

Since a large number of cases occur annually among people born in Mexico, the University of Califor-nia, San Diego School of Medicine created a two-year program in 2006 where it partnered with Mexico in an effort to control and prevent the disease. Using a grant from the United States Agency for Interna-tional Development, the program targets people in Tijuana, which borders San Diego County.

In recent years, the county has reported that more than 70 percent of its new TB cases originated in people born outside the country with the largest amount reported in those from Mexico. One of the problems with TB is that many people who have this disease and are contagious do not feel sick.

Since the disease is spread by talking, sneezing or coughing, it is possible for a person with active TB to infect as many as 15 other people in the course of a year. Since most cases of TB can be cured with oral medicines that must be taken daily for up to nine months, outreach and diagnosis is important. Contagion usually ceases shortly after the start of the treatment.

King County, Wash. reported that its active TB cases reached a 30-year high in 2007, with 55 percent of all cases that were identifi ed in Washington state. With 76 percent of the cases reported among those who were not born in the U.S., the county recognizes that its global connections to a world where as many as a third of the population is infected have helped create these increases.

Masa Narita, M.D., the public health control offi cer for tubercu-losis in King County believes that

approximately 100,000 people in the county have dormant TB and are asymptomatic. About 10 percent of them will eventually develop the disease and become contagious.

One of the most diffi cult tasks in TB prevention is making sure that those infected take their medicine. This task is made more diffi cult because TB generally attacks the most vulnerable populations, which are those least likely to be able to maintain the medication

Ruth Nybro

regimen. The county assigns nurse case managers to each active TB case. They have the responsibility of monitoring treatment side effects and working to eliminate obstacles to complying with the medication dosage. Although this process is costly to the county, the public health department believes it is worth the investment to assure that people don’t spread the disease.

(Research News was written by Jacque-line Byers, director of research.)

14 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •

If all that experience and edu-cation can be merged with an attitude of innovation, and “why not change?” rather than a default against change, the result can see an organization through what might seem like the most diffi cult budget, technology or human behavior crises imaginable.

The most successful people at work respond to a new colleague who performs with excellence and brings new ideas to the workplace by being welcoming and encour-aging, and perhaps sharing their own ideas rather than resisting the changes. Excellence in behavior and performance should be a role model for all of us, rather than something we fear or worry about.

As I say to my colleagues in the government entity in which I serve, “I’m only renting this chair from the taxpayers.” I will surrender the chair gladly at some point, most likely when the “fun-to-frustration” ratio turns sour. Part of my job is to ensure that I am quite replaceable, and in fact that the agency will likely be in better hands after I leave than even when I was present. Working with people of excellence, with diverse thoughts and a sense of constructive improvement, is very much a part of the joy of fi nding a profession and a workplace that helps you live longer.

Whether you think of it as purely selfi sh because it will make your own life richer to work with great people or because you can give away projects and know that they will be well managed, or whether you personally feel chal-lenged to excel by working with such colleagues, the outcome is still the same.

Isn’t this the essence of success-ful behavior-change programs such as Weight Watchers, Alcoholics Anonymous or hiring a personal trainer? Being challenged positively by a workplace colleague helps you improve your own performance. It provides another model for you to consider in your work life and in your home life. I am inspired very regularly by participating in the lives, the adventures and the spirit of opti-mism that I see in my two beautiful HR daughters and my wonderful wife Charlotte. I don’t fear their excellence. I relish it. Try some of that relish in your own life.

Phil RosenbergThe HR Doctor • www.hrdr.net

The H.R. Doctor Is In

This is a most serious recom-mendation to my many colleagues in different phases of their careers in public administration. The mes-sage is: Never fear working with people who perform and behave with excellence. Isn’t that self evident? Why should it even be brought up?

The reason: There is a signifi cant segment of people in all walks of life who feel threatened by working with someone who is outstanding at what they do.

Finding a job you love in a career fi eld you love is a wonderful and critically important variable to living a happy and successful life. Imagine being sentenced to life in prison inside a job that you fi nd boring and dispiriting.

Imagine that, for whatever reason, you feel trapped — by economics, little self confi dence, fear of failure or any other reasons that prevent you from ever seeking out or taking a risk.

Perhaps you are a consummate bureaucrat who is at home in a room whose walls are constructed of the piles of past versions of rule and regulation handbooks. Perhaps you are the master or mistress of the past history of these rules and are able to cite chapter and verse to cover almost any event in the life of the organization. It can be disconcerting to imagine a world in which the rules change, or other people know them better than you do.

It is comforting, on the other hand, to sit in your offi ce and be ap-proached by a stream of colleagues who need your interpretations of the rules or signature on some form, perhaps created years earlier by you, in order for their assignments in the organization to be success-fully fulfi lled.

This scenario can be true in any government agency, but especially those involved in licensure, such as building and permitting depart-ments or internal administration.

The HR Doctor recalls being on a conference program with the president of a national govern-ment purchasing organization who introduced his presentation by saying “I’m from Purchasing. My job is to pour epoxy into the wheels of government so they will run smoother!”

about realities as well as text book learning.

Providing this learning balance is part of why the HR Doctor has continued for more than 25 years to thoroughly enjoy teaching gradu-ate students about HR and public administration. Perhaps this reality of contrast is one reason why there

The Fear of Excellence

Created By Matthew Fellows

Los Angeles County, Calif. (187,435)Orange County, Calif. (98,016)Santa Clara County, Calif. (76,061)San Diego County, Calif. (57,028)San Mateo County, Calif. (43,152)Contra Costa County, Calif. (40,147)Fairfi eld County, Conn. (39,264)San Francisco County, Calif. (33,066)Westchester County, N.Y. (31,328)Alameda County, Calif. (30,864)

Cook County, Ill. (29,168)Nassau County, N.Y. (28,857)Maricopa County, Ariz. (26,477)Marin County, Calif. (24,623)King County, Wash. (23,407)Miami-Dade County, Fla. (22,794)Fairfax County, Va. (21,999)Montgomery County, Md. (21,963)Ventura County, Calif. (20,167)Santa Barbara County, Calif. (19,806)

Word Search

Counties with Most Million-dollar Homes

Z Y R D F O C I N Z X W R R O X T K E BK J O D U S P Y D A K X T Q H N M C L QO U R H Z A U J F M T N P D U U D O Q PO C S I C N A R F N A S G M Y L I L T RW L H Q S T I Y K P B R O N X K O U B JR B H X P A W J O N F N I C A S W S X GX N A P F B E C O E T A M N A S E E B TX J D O N A I S C G Y C I N O R S Z H TP Z F Q H R I Z O Z O X G R M E T A D AX S H J A B Q M P Y V E H O F U C N U WR I G M D A E C L V L D R A Y I H P O PZ L F P A R U T N E V A V S J N E H A CP T W L Y A U X S A N D I E G O S L U CD D D Z W L F Q R G N I K M K E T Z D ZX Z W U K C U P E H Y M K J I W E L V HI L D A S A D E M A L A X B I O R C P SQ O O C E T I M Z O A I Z A D M B K G OX Z O Z U N D S S I O M A O U L R T A TB A F D E A A F K T P Z C A S C O G K BW G C D G S F B D Y S F U T F E Y M L J

One of the lessons for a new arrival in a bureaucracy is to make it a personal passion to fi nd ways to improve

the procedures and the way of doing business inside an organization.

Human Resources, in a civil ser-vice environment, is also notorious for creating rules and insisting that they be applied even if the original purpose and value of the rule has long since been forgotten.

In today’s environment, however, the likely top winner of the “most bureaucratic” annual competition is not purchasing, HR, or even Payroll or OSHA. It is the health care agency. It is increasingly full of forms and processes which ensure payment to providers and insulation from lawyers, but have the net effect of stretching to the breaking point the patience of the patients. As if you were not already ill enough when you entered the health care system, you are certainly likely to leave the emergency room, hospital or clinic with a new medical problem — car-pal tunnel syndrome from signing a vast library of forms.

The trick to career happiness is to fi nd a fi eld of work and, ideally, a place to work in which you are respected as an individual, encour-aged to be innovative, and free to challenge and improve on the exist-ing way business is conducted.

Certainly, not all members of the workgroup have the courage, optimism and compelling urgency to take what others might regard as a major career risk by actually chal-lenging the status quo. Questioning the status quo can be regarded by entrenched colleagues as ques-tioning their livelihood and their contribution over years or decades. It is no wonder that a bright “can do” spirited person coming to work in a bureaucracy will often become frustrated.

They may come to realize that their vision of how they could change the world, or their little part of it, is crashing and burning against the walls of the bureaucracy. They may fi nd that they were never taught in public administration courses

is a rather high turnover in the teaching profession and the nursing profession. That self-questioning and self-doubt is also present in the world of medicine.

The HR Doctor once served as vice president in a giant hospital system. There were physicians and multiple nurses on that HR staff who had chosen HR over the practice of their original health care professions for which they had spent so many years training. The reason was that they felt unable to practice the way they believed they should and were “hungry” for the variety and exposure to human behavior that they found in HR. It is truly a joy and an important time in life when you connect with a profession and with colleagues who bring you happiness.

One of the lessons for a new arrival in a bureaucracy is to make it a personal passion to fi nd ways to improve the procedures and the way of doing business inside an organization. It is an art form to be a creative catalyst for change in such a way that people will regard you as a “go to” colleague, rather than as a threat or as a person who is someone who will claw over your body in order to get promoted or recognized.

If you are one of the entrenched folks who regard change and in-novation as more threatening than exciting, imagine all you are missing by not applying that storehouse of knowledge and experience to be an extraordinary agent of positive change. Who better to modify a civil service system, for example, than someone who has seen the previous system take too long, be too complicated and frustrate other people as well as yourself ? Who better to understand how changes can take place which are helpful and clearer in understanding than what went on before?

• County CountyNewsNews July 14, 2008 15

Job Market / Classifi edsDEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR

– ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLA.Salary: $99,236 – $158,766, DOQ.The western “Gateway to the Sun-

shine State” is a piece of paradise with beautiful white beaches, urban and rural communities with a very historical downtown area (pop. 300,000). Local county government with a fi ve-member elected Board and 1100 employees. Successful candidate will have a bach-elor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration or related fi eld and a minimum of seven years’ manage-ment experience, fi ve of which are at a senior management level in a public sector environment of similar size and complexity. A master’s degree in Public or Business Administration or directly related fi eld is highly desirable. Salary Range: $99,236 – $158,766 with excellent benefi ts. Reasonable relocation expenses reimbursed. Cover letter, resume and salary history by July 20 to: Escambia County Board of County Commission-ers, Human Resources Department, 221 Palafox Place, Suite 200, Pensacola, FL 32502 or fax to 850/595-3020, or e-mail to recruiter@co.escambia.fl .us. This posi-tion requires fi nancial disclosure upon hire and resumes/applications become a matter of public record upon receipt.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – TRIANGLE J COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, N.C.

Salary: DOQ.The Triangle J Council of Govern-

ments, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C. seeks an executive director to lead a 29-member profes-sional staff and manage an annual budget of $3.5 million plus $8 million in aging funds. Seven-county region, 34 member governments, 1.5 million population. Programs include aging planning, ombudsman and home and community care block grant, water resources planning, land use, sustain-able energy and environment, GIS and others. The position calls for the dem-onstrated ability to envision the future of a dynamic and growing region and to work with a variety of state, regional and local governments, and business, civic and academic institutions to move toward such a vision. Requires MPA or equivalent and a minimum of fi ve years’ managerial experience. Salary commensurate with ex-perience. Completed applications should be submitted in confi dence by Aug. 22 to the Search Committee, Triangle J Coun-cil of Governments, P.O. Box 12276, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709. For an application, contact Renée Boyette at 919/558-9403 or download from www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/about2.shtml?5&sc2.

FINANCE DIRECTOR – GARFIELD COUNTY, COLO.

Salary: starts at $83,168, DOQ.Garfi eld County is seeking an expe-

rienced fi nance director to manage and

direct the operations of the core fi nancial functions, including overall fi nancial management, fi nance and budget policies and procedures, accounting, reporting, budgeting, payroll, internal auditing and fi nancial recordkeeping. The director will also provide fi scal assistance to de-partments and offi ces, and provide fi scal advice to the county manager. This is a full time, exempt position with a starting salary of $83,168 per year and eligibility for the county’s generous benefi ts package. The job reports to the county manager. Ap-plicants must possess a master’s degree in accounting or fi nance, or a closely related fi eld, eight years of fi nancial or accounting experience, fi ve years of which were in a progressively responsible management position, preferably in a county or munici-pality and two years of senior managerial experience. Application required for all applicants. Send application and resume for above positions to Garfi eld County Human Resources, 108 8th Street, Ste 112, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, fax to 970/384-5009 or e-mail hr@garfi eld-county.com. Applications may be picked up 1st fl oor of County Administration Building or accessed from the Web site at www.garfi eld-county.com. ADA/EOE. Principals only.

LAND USE GENERAL MANAGER – NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DEL.

Salary: DOQ.New Castle County, Del. (pop.

520,000) is located near Philadelphia about midway between Washington, D.C. and New York City. The county covers 494 square miles. Topography varies from the rolling hills and forest covered “chateau country” in the north to farmland and tidal marshes in the south. New Castle County is one-third of the state in area and is chiefl y responsible for the zoning and land-use planning for its area which is mostly un-incorporated. The general manager of the Land Use Department is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the county executive. The general manager receives day-to-day supervision from the chief administrative offi cer and is responsible for directing and managing the overall activities of the county’s Land Use Department. This is a large, diverse and highly visible department responsible for regulating all new and existing development in the county and in enforcing property maintenance laws. This is a dynamic department that is in the midst of implementing a progressive comprehensive plan. It is tasked with ensuring that new growth is smart growth and encouraging environmental preservation and en-hancement. Functional areas include property assessment, code enforce-ment, planning (including subdivision and zoning), engineering, stormwater and licensing (including permits and inspections). The department has a

current budget of $14.7 million and is allocated 156 full-time positions. Requires any combination of experi-ence and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities. A typical qualifying background would be at least seven years of management-level experience in land-use planning or a closely related fi eld combined with a master’s degree in planning, civil engineering, architecture or a closely related fi eld from an accredited school. Must be a proven manager, strategic thinker, team player and strong leader with exceptional communication skills, a focus on results and skilled at balanc-ing a wide variety of often confl icting interests. Requires strong skills in inter-governmental collaboration given that the responsibility for schools and roads lies with the state government. Requires the ability to work effectively with associates, governmental and private offi cials and agencies and the public to promote an ongoing commit-ment to providing excellent customer service. Must value diversity and strive to achieve greater diversity throughout the Land Use Department. Must be able to pass a county pre-employment physical examination. For additional information, please visit New Castle County on its Web site at www.nccde.org. The position will remain open until fi lled. We are anxious to com-plete this search. Please send your resume immediately to: Robert E. Slavin, President, Slavin Management Consultants, 3040 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite A-1, Norcross, Georgia 30071. Phone: 770/449-4656, fax: 770/416-0848, e-mail slavin@bellsouth.net. www.slavinweb.com. An equal op-portunity recruiter/employer.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR – MCHENRY COUNTY, ILL.

Salary: $100,000+/-, DOQ.McHenry County, Ill. (pop. 328,000)

is a beautiful combination of suburban and rural living, with 20,000 acres of conservation land within its 610 square miles. McHenry County has experi-enced rapid growth and development making it one of the fastest growing counties in the state. The county is seeking local government executives with strong communication skills and a successful background in planning and code enforcement services to lead the county’s Department of Planning and Development. The Planning and Development Department has 29 em-ployees including two deputy directors and a budget of approximately $1.4 million. The director will report to the county administrator and will work closely with the County Board, several commissions and community leaders in townships and municipalities within the county. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in urban planning,

public administration, public policy or related fi eld; a master’s degree and AICP certifi cation is highly desirable. In addition, candidates must have seven to ten years increasingly respon-sible experience in land use planning, regional planning, code enforcement or directly related fi eld. Residency within the county is not required. Interested candidates should apply by August 1 with resume, salary history and fi ve references to Heidi Voorhees, President, The PAR Group, 100 N. Waukegan Road, Suite 211, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. Phone: 847/234-0005, fax: 847/2234-8309; e-mail: resume@pargroupltd.com

TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR C.A.T. – CHATHAM COUNTY, GA.

Salary: N/A Chatham County, Ga. is seeking let-

ters of interest and qualifi cations from fi rms to provide Transportation Man-agement Services for Chatham Area Transit (CAT) for the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. Request for interest and qualifi cation RFI/Q 08-7-5. The Chatham Area Transit (CAT) Board of Directors request letters of interest and qualifi cations from fi rms interested in providing public sector transit management and/or operations services. These services will be used to assist CAT with improving mobility processes and services. Specifi cally, CAT is looking to retain a fi rm to fi ll one of two possible roles: 1. Creating a public-private partnership to operate (CAT), 2. Managing and Operating CAT services. Examples of desired areas of expertise should include: establish-ing public-private partnership in public transit, assessment of transit operation

profi les, management and operations of transit bus services, experience in multi-modal mobility services, operations audit services, marketing and public outreach functions, transit planning services and investment capabilities, restructuring and optimization of exist-ing multi-modal bus transit networks, implementation of new “smart” transit technologies including GPS systems, bus location systems and real-time pas-senger information systems via Internet or mobile phones. Experience working with municipalities or other government entities is highly desirable. Letters of interest and qualifi cations are due by 2:00 p.m. Aug. 21, and must be mailed or hand delivered to the Chatham County Purchasing Offi ce, 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite C, Savannah, GA 31406. A copy of this request for interest and qualifi cations is available in Chatham County Purchasing Offi ce, 1117 Eisen-hower Drive, Suite C, Savannah, GA. For additional information concerning specifi cations, please contact Ms. Kath-leen Watson-Scott, CPPB, Procurement Specialist, at 912/790-1619. Specifi ca-tions are also available on and can be downloaded from the county’s Web site at www.chathamcounty.org All fi rms requesting to do business with Chatham County must also register on-line at www.chathamcountyvims.com. Chatham County reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive all formalities. Chatham county is an equal opportunity employer, M/F/H. All bidders are to be equal opportunity employers.

(If you would like information about advertising your job openings in County News and County News Online, please contact Matthew Fellows at 202/942-4256 or mfellows@naco.org.)

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16 July 14, 2008 CountyCountyNews News •