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County leaders convene at national conference to highlight solutions that bolster America’s communities

By NACo

Sandoval County Treasurer Laura M. Montoya and Santa Fe County Commissioner Anna Hansen joined more than 3,000 county leaders July 12-15 in Clark County, Nev. at the 84thNational Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition. Attendees adopted positions on pressing federal policies affecting counties and exchanged innovative solutions to challenges facing American communities. Both elected officials were able to get resolutions passed through their respective committees.

 

Commissioner Anna Hansen’s resolution was presented in the Environment, Energy and Land Use committee. The resolution supports regulatory or legislative efforts to rescind or substantially revise the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Order 140.1 to clarify the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s (DNSFB) full authority to protect health and safety of the public and workers with full access to DOE facilities and information, as directed by statute and created by Congress in 1989.

 

“This order from Department of Energy, Order 140.1 is a violation of the rule of law, as it ignores congressional authority over the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).  This order must be rescinded so that full authority of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board can protect our public health and workers safety in counties that are surrounded by nuclear facilities,” stated Hansen.

 

The Environment, Energy and Land Use steering committee passed 13 resolutions.

 

Treasurer Laura M. Montoya’s two resolutions were presented in the Finance, Pensions and Intergovernmental Affairs (FPIGA) committee. The first resolution supports regulations preventing financial advisors from manipulating government finances or government transactions for their own personal gain under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Municipal Advisor Rule under the Dodd Frank Act.

 

The second resolution supports increasing the available opportunities for counties to access funding for infrastructure projects and to help reduce the costs to taxpayers of such projects. This resolution was a result of recent Securities and Exchange (SEC) rules altering money market funds and reducing access to capital markets used to finance infrastructure development projects.

 

“The Municipal Advisor resolution helps sustain transparency and accountability for any contracted financial advisors that work with counties. The SEC rule resolution helps counties preserve money market funds as a source of liquidity and capital for the public infrastructure needs such as hospitals, affordable housing and landfills,” stated Treasurer Montoya.

 

The FPIGA steering committee passed two platform changes and nine policy resolutions.

 

NACo 2018-2019 President Greg Cox unveiled NACo’s annual report recapping the year’s accomplishments, including several significant federal policy victories.

Douglas County, Neb. Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson was sworn in as NACo President. NACo membership elected Boone County, Ky. Judge/Executive Gary Moore as first vice president and DeKalb County, Ga. Commissioner Larry Johnson as second vice president.

 

More than three dozen workshops and meetings explored topics including affordable housing, immigration reform, technology, reducing the number of mentally ill individuals in jails, the opioid epidemic and other topics important to counties across the country.

 

Commissioner Hansen and Treasurer Montoya participated in several workshops including: 13 Ways not to Kill your Community by Doug Griffiths; Immigrant Integrations Efforts at the Local Level; 2020 Census: Making it Count; Nurturing County Leaders and Understanding Generational Ethics.

 

“As Chair of Next Generation, we were proud to sponsor three of the workshops and a discussion during our Next Generation Network Leadership meeting entitled, “Living your best life in retirement: Is your retirement strategy speaking your language?” It was humbling to be asked to be a speaker on the “Trends in Public Pensions” presentation to the FPIGA committee.”

 

“Supporting national policies that promote economic development, investment in services for our people, and saving money for my county and our taxpayers is important to me. To advocate for the repeal of the 40% excise tax on employer-sponsored health insurance was rewarding, especially after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill this past week” stated Montoya.

 

Notable speakers included Acting Administrator and General Counsel of the U.S. Small Business Administration Chris Pilkerton, Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop Dr. Jeanette Betancourt and CEO of the Purpose Institute Roy Spence.

 

Conference delegates discussed federal policy and legislation on a wide range of key topics like transportation and infrastructure; rural and urban development; energy; federal public lands and active forest management; public safety; emergency preparedness and response; housing and community development; health and other topics.

 

At the conference’s conclusion, county leaders adopted the American County Platform, which sets NACo’s federal policy agenda for the coming year.

 

More information about the conference is available here.

Sandoval County Treasurer Laura M. Montoya and Santa Fe County Commissioner Anna Hansen joined more than 3,000 county leaders July 12-15 in Clark County, Nev. at the 84thNational Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition. Attendees adopted positions on pressing federal policies affecting counties and exchanged innovative solutions to challenges facing American communities. Both elected officials were able to get resolutions passed through their respective committees.

 

Commissioner Anna Hansen’s resolution was presented in the Environment, Energy and Land Use committee. The resolution supports regulatory or legislative efforts to rescind or substantially revise the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Order 140.1 to clarify the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s (DNSFB) full authority to protect health and safety of the public and workers with full access to DOE facilities and information, as directed by statute and created by Congress in 1989.

 

“This order from Department of Energy, Order 140.1 is a violation of the rule of law, as it ignores congressional authority over the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).  This order must be rescinded so that full authority of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board can protect our public health and workers safety in counties that are surrounded by nuclear facilities,” stated Hansen.

 

The Environment, Energy and Land Use steering committee passed 13 resolutions.

 

Treasurer Laura M. Montoya’s two resolutions were presented in the Finance, Pensions and Intergovernmental Affairs (FPIGA) committee. The first resolution supports regulations preventing financial advisors from manipulating government finances or government transactions for their own personal gain under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Municipal Advisor Rule under the Dodd Frank Act.

 

The second resolution supports increasing the available opportunities for counties to access funding for infrastructure projects and to help reduce the costs to taxpayers of such projects. This resolution was a result of recent Securities and Exchange (SEC) rules altering money market funds and reducing access to capital markets used to finance infrastructure development projects.

 

“The Municipal Advisor resolution helps sustain transparency and accountability for any contracted financial advisors that work with counties. The SEC rule resolution helps counties preserve money market funds as a source of liquidity and capital for the public infrastructure needs such as hospitals, affordable housing and landfills,” stated Treasurer Montoya.

 

The FPIGA steering committee passed two platform changes and nine policy resolutions.

 

NACo 2018-2019 President Greg Cox unveiled NACo’s annual report recapping the year’s accomplishments, including several significant federal policy victories.

Douglas County, Neb. Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson was sworn in as NACo President. NACo membership elected Boone County, Ky. Judge/Executive Gary Moore as first vice president and DeKalb County, Ga. Commissioner Larry Johnson as second vice president.

 

More than three dozen workshops and meetings explored topics including affordable housing, immigration reform, technology, reducing the number of mentally ill individuals in jails, the opioid epidemic and other topics important to counties across the country.

 

Commissioner Hansen and Treasurer Montoya participated in several workshops including: 13 Ways not to Kill your Community by Doug Griffiths; Immigrant Integrations Efforts at the Local Level; 2020 Census: Making it Count; Nurturing County Leaders and Understanding Generational Ethics.

 

“As Chair of Next Generation, we were proud to sponsor three of the workshops and a discussion during our Next Generation Network Leadership meeting entitled, “Living your best life in retirement: Is your retirement strategy speaking your language?” It was humbling to be asked to be a speaker on the “Trends in Public Pensions” presentation to the FPIGA committee.”

 

“Supporting national policies that promote economic development, investment in services for our people, and saving money for my county and our taxpayers is important to me. To advocate for the repeal of the 40% excise tax on employer-sponsored health insurance was rewarding, especially after the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill this past week” stated Montoya.

 

Notable speakers included Acting Administrator and General Counsel of the U.S. Small Business Administration Chris Pilkerton, Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop Dr. Jeanette Betancourt and CEO of the Purpose Institute Roy Spence.

 

Conference delegates discussed federal policy and legislation on a wide range of key topics like transportation and infrastructure; rural and urban development; energy; federal public lands and active forest management; public safety; emergency preparedness and response; housing and community development; health and other topics.

 

At the conference’s conclusion, county leaders adopted the American County Platform, which sets NACo’s federal policy agenda for the coming year.

 

More information about the conference is available here.

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