Counties to Visit Capitol April 25

Texas Legislators, state Capitol staff, and local leaders are all invited to attend a barbecue on the Texas Capitol grounds April 25 in celebration of County Government Week.
The barbecue, sponsored by the Texas Association of Counties (TAC), will be coming to Austin special from Buppy’s BBQ in College Station and will be served from noon-1:30 p.m.
In celebration of the week, the Legislature will adopt a resolution supporting county government, and TAC will host a legislative reception.
County Government Week is a national event “created to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of the nation’s counties,” according to the National Association of Counties (NACo), which released a guidebook for counties wanting to participate locally in the national promotions. The national theme for this year’s week is “Protecting the Environment,” though county officials can also create their own local theme as well.
According to NACo, “counties can show their residents the many ways they work to protect and enhance the health, welfare and safety of its citizens in sensible and cost-effective ways. In the activities they plan, counties can present how they encourage energy-efficient commercial development, use of fuel-efficient vehicles, promote energy efficiency in county buildings, recycle paper and other waste, and work to protect the national environment for their counties.”
Other ideas for celebrating County Government Week include hosting an open house at the county courthouse; scheduling tours of the county facilities; creating informational displays for malls, libraries and other public areas; having local leaders give presentations on civic involvement and how government works to classrooms; and organizing an essay-writing or poster-making contest in which youth describe the ways county services impact their lives.
More information on County Government Week events at the Capitol building can be found on the TAC Web site at www.county.org.
For more information on County Government Week, see the March edition of County Progress at countyprogress.com.