In preparation for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2019 Annual Conference, held in Clark County/Las Vegas, Nev. on July 12-15, NACo members are invited to submit policy resolutions and platform changes to be considered at the conference.
The NACo resolutions process provides members with the ability to participate in national policy decisions affecting county governments. During the Annual Conference, NACo’s ten policy steering committees, Board of Directors and the general membership consider policy resolutions that will guide NACo advocacy until the next NACo Annual Conference in July 2020.
The American County Platform and the association's policy resolutions are carefully considered statements of the needs and interests of county governments throughout the nation. These federal policy statements serve as a guide for NACo members and staff to advance the association’s policy agenda before Congress, the White House and federal agencies. Please refer to the comprehensive overview of NACo’s policy resolution process here.
HOW TO SUBMIT AND FORMAT RESOLUTIONS
When submitting resolutions and platform changes, please work with the appropriate steering committee staff liaison to adhere to the following guidelines:
All resolutions and platform changes must be submitted electronically (preferably as a Word document) via email to resolutions@naco.org by June 12, 2019. Submissions MUST identify the title and issue area in the email subject line (e.g. Social Services Block Grant, Human Services and Education).
CLICK HERE FOR A SAMPLE RESOLUTION
Resolutions should be concise and no more than one page in length. The standard format includes:
- Issue: Short sentence stating the purpose of the resolution and how the issue impacts counties
- Proposed Policy: Concise statement specifying a position or action by NACo and/or other entities
- Background: 1 – 2 paragraph statement clearly outlining the county interest in the particular issue
- Fiscal/Urban/Rural Impact: Short statement addressing the potential impact(s) for counties in the specific issue area
- Sponsor: Name and contact information of NACo member sponsoring the resolution. It is important to include contact information so that the NACo staff can follow up if there are any questions or additional information required
IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you plan to submit a policy resolution, you (or a designated representative) must appear in person at the steering committee meeting at the 2019 Annual Conference to introduce and explain the resolution.
PLATFORM CHANGES AND EXISTING RESOLUTIONS
Platform changes may also be considered at the Annual Conference. Also, all resolutions previously passed, both at last year’s 2018 Annual Conference and at NACo’s 2019 Legislative Conference, expire at this conference and must be resubmitted as either a resolution or platform change in order to continue as NACo policy.
QUESTIONS
Please contact NACo's Deputy Executive Director / Director of Government Affairs Deborah Cox at dcox@naco.org or the appropriate steering committee liaison with additional questions or concerns. Click here to see NACo's Government Affairs Department staff contact list.
2018-2019 American County Platform
NACo's Policy Resolution Process
