Legislative Interim Ideal Time to Share County Story With State Partners
In his first official remarks as CJCAT President, Parmer County Commissioner Kirk Frye asked his fellow members of Texas Commissioners Courts to join him in a pledge.
“We often look at the legislative interim as the ‘off season,’ ” Frye observed following his installation at the October CJCAT Conference. However, when it comes to communicating with state partners, there is no off season.
“Now is a great time to talk to your senators and representatives because they are at home,” Frye continued. “We, as a group, as an association, need to join together and pledge to make this a ‘Start Season.’ ”
CJCAT Program Director Rick Thompson pointed to an ideal set of tools to help jumpstart this Start Season.
“Resolution Spotlights are powerful resources for advocacy and education,” Thompson shared. “They are designed to distill complex county issues into clear, concise messages that are easy for different audiences to understand.”
The Resolution Spotlights are based on the CJCAT Resolutions, adopted every year at the Annual State Conference.
- The CJCAT Resolutions serve as the Association’s legislative platform and are available for download at countyprogress.com.
- The Resolution Spotlights are designed to explain the county story, or the “why” behind the CJCAT Resolutions, and are available for download here.
“The Resolution Spotlights help officials quickly and effectively communicate the background of a problem, present evidence to support the county’s position, and offer clear, actionable recommendations,” Thompson observed. “In addition, they are perfect for social media because they are designed to be easily digestible.”
Frye echoed Thompson, describing the spotlights as “valuable tools made easily available to us all.”
“As your State President, I strongly encourage you to read, study, and use these spotlights to communicate with your senator and representative to support your county’s position on these topics,” Frye said.
The CJCAT and County Progress have published 19 Resolutions Spotlights:
Resolution Spotlights Available for Download
- County Election Security and Costs
- County Homestead Exemption
- County Land Use Authority
- County Local Option Revenue Sources
- County Motor Fuel Tax Exemption
- Damage to County Roads by Oil and Gas Activity
- Fireworks Regulations
- Limitations on Registered Sex Offenders in Counties
- Mental Health Patients
- Municipal Utility Districts and Special Utility Districts
- Optional County Road and Bridge Fee
- Sludge Waste and Biosolid Disposal
- State Funds for Indigent Criminal Defense and Magistration Cost
- Statewide Funding for Rural Ambulance Service
- Support for Local Decision-Making and Opposition to Revenue Caps
- Opposition to Unfunded Mandates
- Opposition to Efforts to Prohibit County Legislative Communications
- Support for County Road Grant Fund
- Juvenile Probation, Commitment, and Detention Funding