June 2024

ACCG News

Registration Now Open: Summer Policy Committee Meetings

Registration is now open for the summer Policy Committee Meetings. ACCG's seven standing Policy Committees will meet twice, in Bartow and Dougherty counties, to discuss key issues and to recommend policy objectives for the 2025 ACCG Policy Agenda. County officials can choose to attend all policy committee meetings or the ones in which they are interested.

Meeting topics are repeated in each location, so you only need to register for one set of meetings. Registration for the Federal Committee meeting is also available and will take place once at a separate location. More details can be found here.

ACCG Announces Changes to Key Leadership Staff

Effective June 5, Clint Mueller, formerly Director of Governmental Affairs, has been promoted to Deputy Director of ACCG. This position is new to ACCG’s current staff structure. In his new role, Clint will be working with Executive Director Dave Wills on routine administrative matters, annual budget preparation, personnel management, and will take on special projects as assigned. He will remain involved with legislative matters. 

Todd Edwards, formerly Deputy Director of Governmental Affairs, has been promoted to Director of Governmental Affairs. Todd will lead the Association’s policy development and legislative advocacy efforts, become a part of the Senior Management team, and be involved in discussions of general management issues, when relevant, that apply across ACCG. 

ACCG Launches Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee Webpage

ACCG recently launched the new mental health webpage. The association’s Standing Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, with support from the ACCG staff, collaborated to produce a dedicated webpage containing the list of best practices. The webpage also includes a brief overview of recent mental health legislative efforts; federal, state, and community resources; and examples of how counties have implemented impactful policies and practices to address the mental health crisis in their communities.  

The ACCG Standing Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse was established in 2023 by ACCG Immediate Past President and Baldwin County Commissioner Henry Craig. He appointed Forsyth County Commissioner Cindy Mills to serve as chair of the committee and tasked its members with generating a list of best practices that counties can adopt to improve the mental health services in their communities.

To visit the website, click here. 

2025 ACCG Salary Guide Update

Each year, ACCG produces a Salary Guide for County Officials which assists with the calculation of salaries for certain county officials, as well as state officials who receive supplements to their salaries from counties. The 2025 Guide, which applies to salary calculations as of January 1, 2025, is in process and is scheduled for release by late June. For the new budget year, the state awarded a 4% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for state employees but capped that COLA at $3,000 (a cap which would apply to state employees making $75,000 or more). Many county officials (county commissioners, constitutional officers, magistrate judges, and most coroners) generally are entitled to the same COLAs as received by state employees. ACCG will be working to determine how this year’s COLA should apply to those county officials, in consultation with the Constitutional Officers Association of Georgia as well as the Magistrate Judges Council. Additional updates are forthcoming.

State News

Reminder: Next Generation 911 Webinar

A well-functioning 911 system is a critical piece of helping to ensure the public safety of all Georgians. ACCG is partnering with the Georgia Emergency Communication Authority, the statewide regulatory agency for 911 systems, to host a webinar on the need for Next Generation 911, also known as NextGen 911, and how the state and counties can work together to implement this new system. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, June 18 at 10:00 AM.

Click here to register.

Next Generation 911 Survey: 911 Centers Encouraged to Complete

The Georgia Emergency Communications Authority (GECA) is encouraging all 911 emergency operations centers to complete the NextGen 911 survey by Friday, June 21. The data collected will help GECA plan for NextGen911, benchmark against other states, measure progress, and share important information with non-911 stakeholders. Additionally, to comply with a Congressional mandate, GECA submits some of the data to the Federal Communications Commission.

Click here to complete the survey.

Please be Aware of Legislation Effective July 1

Many bills impacting counties that passed during the 2024 Session will become effective on July 1, 2024. Review ACCG's Final Legislative Report to see the bills that will become law soon. The bills’ effective dates are listed right after their title and bill sponsor.  

Georgia River Network Local Water Recreation Survey

The Georgia River Network is seeking input from county governments on the public use of local rivers and streams and public investments in water recreation access and amenities. Complete a brief survey to help the Georgia River Network share the extent of water recreation on Georgia's waterways and its importance to local communities. The data collected will aid a special House study committee on navigable streams when developing recommendations about which streams and rivers in Georgia should be open and accessible to the public.

Click here to access the local water recreation survey

GMA 2024 Broadband Summit 

Join city and county officials from around the state on Tuesday, July 16, for the 2024 Georgia Broadband Summit. Hosted by the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), this one-day summit aims to connect local government leaders and partners to address a variety of broadband needs in their communities. This year’s summit will take place as the Georgia Technology Authority prepares to roll out billions in BEAD infrastructure and digital connectivity funding. Registration is $25.

Click here to register.

Online DNR Grant Workshop

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced the 2024-2025 funding cycle and workshop dates for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Program. On Wednesday, June 12, join DNR Grants staff online for an educational workshop to learn more about each grant program. Click here to register for the workshop.

Federal News

Norfolk Southern Grant Programs Available for Local Governments

Norfolk Southern is currently accepting applications for its two grant programs, the Safety First Grant and Thriving Communities Grant. Both grant programs were designed to support entities that promote safe and sustainable operations, develop the local work force, and build strong, resilient communities. Applications for both programs will be accepted until Tuesday, October 1.

Click here to learn more about each grant program and to see if your community is eligible for funding.

Call to Action: Attend the NACo Membership Call on the 2024 Farm Bill

Help shape the future of agriculture policy by joining NACo for a membership call on Friday, June 14 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Amidst ongoing negotiations for the new Farm Bill, counties have already secured significant wins in both House and Senate proposals, including increased funding for rural development programs, improvements to federal nutrition programs, and more. With the potential to impact every community, rural and urban, your participation is crucial in helping NACo advocate for key county priorities. Attend the call to gain insights into the current state of negotiations on the Farm Bill and the future trajectory for this important legislation.

The meeting will be held via Zoom, to register, click here.

For more information on the key county priorities, click here.

2024 NACo Annual Conference - Register Now

The 2024 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition will take place this year in Hillsborough County, Florida from July 12-15. Attend this conference to ensure all Georgia county voices are considered in NACo’s policy development process. Added benefits include educational sessions and workshops on trending federal policy issues, a plethora of opportunities to connect with county officials from across the nation, and time dedicated to the exchanging of ideas which contribute to the overall success of America’s 3,069 counties. 

Click here to register.

Get Involved with NACo: Apply to Serve on a Steering Committee

ACCG currently has openings in several NACo Steering committee. NACo’s 10 policy steering committees cover a wide range of domestic policy issues impacting county governments and our local communities. These committees meet at least twice each year, with a virtual option, to review and recommend public policy issues and legislation at the national level. The policy development process initiated by the steering committees is the foundation for the American County Platform, which drives NACo's advocacy efforts. To apply, fill out the application and send it to Martha Revelo (mrevelo@accg.org) by Sunday, June 30.

For more details on NACo steering committees and additional opportunities for involvement, click here.

OSHA Proposes Major Changes to Regulations for Emergency Responders 

Emergency response workers in the U.S. face significant occupational health and safety hazards in unpredictable work environments. Current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency response and preparedness standards are outdated and do not address the full range of risks facing emergency responders, in addition to not aligning with current practices in today’s emergency climate. To address these changes, OSHA has prepared a new rule to ensure better protections for emergency responders. The proposed rule aims to replace the existing Fire Brigades standard from 1980, which only covers a subset of emergency responders. The new rule would expand protections to include workers providing medical services and technical search and rescue. OSHA is inviting public comments on the proposed rule until July 22, 2024. Click here to make comments.

More information on OSHA's rulemaking process can be found here.

Please contact Martha Revelo (mrevelo@accg.org) for any additional comments or questions.

EPA Proposes Water System Restructuring Assessment Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a Water System Restructuring Rule, which outlines a framework for states, public water systems, and the communities they serve to evaluate options for restructuring to help ensure safe, reliable drinking water. Restructuring changes may include operational changes, upgrades or replacement of water system infrastructure, interconnection with another system, consolidation, or transfer of ownership. EPA is requesting public comment on the proposed regulation. The public comment period will be open for 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register. 

Click here for more information.

EPA 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently accepting applications for the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program. The EPA anticipates awarding up to $932 million in competitive grant funding to replace existing non-zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles. All application packages must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by Wednesday, July 25.

More details on the Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Program can be found here.

USDOT Accepting SMART Grant Applications

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is currently accepting Stage 1 applications for its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. During Stage 1, the SMART program will fund technology demonstrations and prototypes that solve real-world transportation problems and build data and technology capacity for local governments. Stage 1 grant recipients will be eligible to expand their projects during Stage 2 later this year. Applications must be submitted through Valid Eval by Friday, July 12 at 5:00 PM ET.

ACCG is YOUR county association. We are here to advance all 159 Georgia county governments. Please feel free to contact a member of the Governmental Affairs Team if they can assist in any way.