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a fraction of such, maybe commissioners, judges or the equiva- lent of justices of the peace. Here in Arkansas we find ourselves dealing with everything from roads to robberies …from death to taxes…from marriages to juries.
As such, it is no surprise that some of our staff will deal with bills ranging from mass fatalities to the emailing of tax bills in the same day with very different legislators espousing very differ- ent ideas of where government can be changed. To say that we must shift gears quickly is a very large understatement. Te staff understands and expects this. But the most powerful statement of county government is to see you, our elected officials, coming to the Capitol and lobbying on behalf of one another to further the agenda of your or another office’s agenda…one which can oftentimes be widely different from the day-to-day tasks you face in your own office.
sion. It is of the upmost importance that your legislators see you here. It conveys to them that you care about them, and what they are doing. It states that you are interested in the whole of county government, not just matters of concern to your office... We are 75 coun- ties with one voice.
“W I believe we have the most ”
diverse lobby within the walls of the Capitol. And I believe this diversity serves us well. As Steven Covey the great American motivator and writer once said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”
Tere is something about seeing an assessor lobby to increase 9-1-1 funding that makes you realize just how strong the bonds are between all aspects of county government. Every day you may sit in your corner of the county world, but you interact closely with many others who may perform different tasks within the confines of your courthouse. Ultimately the goal of bringing good government to the people is the tie that unites us all. Different corners in your courthouse are all bonded by that one common thread shared by all…you are there to bring something to the populace that only government can provide, and you find a deep joy in doing so to the best of your ability.
One exciting thing which I get the pleasure of witnessing about
Arkansas county government is that you bring that common thread with you to the Capitol when you “educate” our legislature about issues that are pressing back home. Regardless of bound- aries between offices, you find yourselves tasked with lobbying
8 Chris Villines
regarding important bills that we at the AAC are involved with. I appreciate what American singer Ani DiFranco stated, that “I
e hope you take some time to visit the Capitol during the ses-
know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap.” As individual offices we all perform different tasks, but there are these distinct areas where treasurers and county clerks overlap. And there are areas where judges and sheriffs do the same. Each of you serve in an office that has some overlap with another county of- fice. Tere indeed exists this area of comfort and strength where both of you are involved in com- mon interests. If you look across the landscape of county govern- ment these overlaps connect our offices together like a chain, and it is not difficult to see the com- monality we share.
At the AAC, we have a unique privilege to view this chain… this commonality in our counties. We have strength in our diversity, and we are able to use this to educate a largely inexperienced legislature about the importance of county government as a whole. You should never underestimate
the power of your message to our legislature, the fact that you care about other very different offices under the county umbrella says a great deal to them about our unified resolve.
We hope that you take some time to visit the Capitol during this session. It is of the upmost importance that your legislators see you here. It conveys to them that you care about them, and what they are doing. It states that you are interested in the whole of county government, not just matters of concern to your office. And it reminds them of just how many people collectively make up the county government that they see back home. We are 75 counties with one voice.
Chris Villines
Chris Villines AAC Executive Director
COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2013
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