Nearly 1,000 counties across the country celebrated National County Government Week (NCGW) April 7–13 with proclamations, programs with students and open houses at county buildings.
NCGW is an annual event begun in 1990 to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of counties. The themes for this year’s celebration were Homeland Security and Expand Democracy in America—an effort to get more citizens to work at the polls.
Howard County, Md. followed the theme of Homeland Security by showing the video “Never Forget” on its government cable channel throughout the week. NACo produced the video which focuses on the tragic and shocking events of Sept. 11 and the heroism that resulted. In the video, first responders tell their stories—what they saw and what they faced at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pa. NACo first showed the video at its Legislative Conference in March to recognize the work of first responders.
In addition to the video, Howard County Executive James Robey honored four county employees in a special ceremony on April 11 for their response efforts to the terrorist attacks in September.
Many counties held programs during the week that involved schools and students. Grundy County, Iowa fifth-and sixth-grade classes toured the courthouse and met elected officials on April 9. The students saw a mock trial and heard presentations on the health department and on recycling and preserving the environment.
In addition to adopting a proclamation, Flagler County, Fla. had students from the local high school government class shadow county officials for the day.
Austin County, Texas also involved students in its program by having County Youth Government Day on April 8. As part of the program, high school government-class students served as county officials for the day, which began with a Commissioners Court meeting. Local American Legion posts sponsored transportation and lunch for the students.
Los Angeles County, Calif. used NCGW to promote the regional Workforce Development system, branded WorkSource California. A strategic marketing and advertising campaign, including advertisements on billboards, in major newspapers and on radio, was launched during the week. WorkSource California is the premier network of workforce development solutions for businesses and job seekers.
Open houses and displays of county programs were presented by other counties. Los Alamos County, N.M. put up displays of infrastructure projects in the lobbies of its public buildings. The county also issued a proclamation, press releases and public service announcements, posted information on its Web site and distributed ads encouraging citizen involvement in government.
Palm Beach County, Fla. participated by having informational displays at a poplar event, “Brown Bag in the City” on April 12. County departments and constitutional officers were on hand to answer questions and provide information. Sierra County, N.M. held its open house of county facilities on April 10.
Many counties issued proclamations in celebration of the week. Here are the counties that sent their proclamations to NACo: San Benito, Calif.; Salem County, N.J.; Jim Hogg County, Texas; Nelson County, Va.; Nevada County, Calif.; McKinley County, N.M.; and Greenville, S.C.
If your county participated in NCGW or issued a proclamation in celebration of the week, let us know. Send the information to tgoodman@naco.org or fax it to Tom Goodman at (202) 393-3620.
