Many new laws impacting counties to take effect this Wednesday
As a reminder, a number of ACCA priorities and various other pieces of legislation signed into law this year will take effect this Wednesday, October 1. Released back in May to the entire County Family, the Association’s Goat Hill Final Report outlines every new statewide and local law from the 2025 Legislative Session that impacts county government in some fashion. County leaders are encouraged to click here to view the report and refresh their memory of the new laws taking effect this week.
ALGTI to become “Buddy Sharpless Education Institute”
In a heartfelt tribute to the late O.H. “Buddy” Sharpless III, the Alabama Local Government Training Institute (ALGTI) will be renamed this week as the Buddy Sharpless Education Institute. Buddy served as ACCA Executive Director from 1974-2009 and, during his tenure, spearheaded the creation of a number of programs that continue to benefit counties today — including the ALGTI program, which provides essential training for newly-elected commissioners. Following Buddy’s passing in 2024, Alabama counties made it a 2025 legislative priority to honor his enduring impact on county government by renaming the educational program. Moving forward, county leaders will see no structural changes to the program but can expect to see this logo on various program resources and materials.
County Family Members reminded to vote in LGHIB election
Attention, County Family Members! Time is running out to cast your vote for Colbert County Administrator Roger Creekmore in the Local Government Health Insurance Board’s (LGHIB) Position One election! The Board position is reserved for an active county or city employee, and with a city candidate on the ballot, it is essential that all county leaders make it a priority to vote for Roger and preserve county government’s majority voice on the Board. Click here to learn more about Roger’s extensive history of service to county government.
Legislative committee for County Engineers to meet tomorrow
ACCA’s legislative development process will continue this week as members of the legislative committee for the Association of County Engineers of Alabama (ACEA) gather in Montgomery tomorrow. As always, members will discuss a myriad of ongoing issues and possible policy solutions with the shared goal of improving county road department operations across the state. Items discussed will be shared with members of the ACCA Legislative Committee during their two-day workshop in late October.
ACCA staff continues service on Legislature-created study commissions
This week, ACCA staff will continue its participation in two statewide study commissions as part of the Association’s role in representing county government. Created by resolution during the 2025 Legislative Session, both commissions have been charged with diving into a specific statewide issue and proposing strategic changes for the future. While one commission is studying Alabama’s court costs and identifying ways to make these costs more uniform across the state, the other is examining post-traumatic stress disorder funding and exploring how it can be more effectively used to support treatment for first responders.