National Association of Counties
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National County Government Month (NCGM), held each April, is an annual celebration of county government. Since 1991, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has encouraged counties to actively promote county roles and responsibilities in serving residents. Counties can schedule activities any time during the month. NCGM is an excellent opportunity for your county to highlight effective or innovative county programs and raise public awareness of services provided to the community.
This year's National County Government Month theme is consistent with NACo President Denise Winfrey's focus for the year, Counties RISE!
RISE! stands for Resiliency, Inclusion, Solvency and Empowerment - and the exclamation point speaks to the enthusiasm and passion with which we tell those stories. Counties are encouraged to reflect on this theme as you choose how to celebrate NCGM.
If you have questions about National County Government Month, please contact Nicole Weissman at nweissman@naco.org.
| Watch RISE Video |
A message from NACo President Denise Winfrey |
National County Government Month (NCGM) is an opportunity - a moment to elevate our work and educate citizens on the importance of county government. Residents deserve to know about the many ways our work touches their lives, and the broader framework of intergovernmental partnership wherein we county leaders deploy local, state, and federal programs on the ground.
Our role is broad and deep, and there is much to say - when considering your approach to NCGM, think of how our counties RISE!:
My presidential theme ends with an exclamation point because we must tell these stories with the passion and energy that convey the commitment of county governments to the communities we serve.
This NCGM, we will tell stories that celebrate our work and inform our residents. Spotlight your county's role in making life better for every single resident, and in contributing to the intergovernmental partnership that makes effective governing possible.
As you celebrate your finest programs, I also encourage you to nominate them for a NACo Achievement Award now through April 7, 2023.
In the spirit of NCGM, we celebrate you and thank you for your service and your commitment to helping Counties RISE!
The Hon. Denise Winfrey
NACo President
Board Member, Will County, Ill.
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National County Government Month (NCGM) is an annual celebration of county government held each April. Since 1991, the National Association of Counties has encouraged our members to actively promote county services and programs. Counties can schedule activities any time during the month. NCGM is an excellent opportunity for your county to highlight effective county programs and raise public awareness and understanding about the various services provided to the community. Here are a few ideas on how to get started:
The committee will plan, organize and coordinate all activities related to NCGM. Committee members should include representatives from the county board, administration, school system and each county department. Additionally, a public information officer or county official experienced in media relations should be included. Consider including a county extension service representative. This could be a staff member, 4-H volunteer or 4-H member. All areas of county government and schools should be involved in the planning process.
Plan activities throughout the month or organize just a few featured events. Hold fun, interactive and informative activities to reach different segments of your community, including students, educators, senior citizens, young families, business leaders and community organizations. Activities should be designed to bring residents to county facilities such as the courthouse, parks, public safety building, public health department or a recycling/waste transfer station. Activities can be planned to deploy county officials to locations where residents are already assembled. Suggestions for activities such as open houses and public tours can be found on this page.
Be sure members of the local news media are aware of NCGM and the activities your committee has planned. Consider involving a member of the news media in the planning process. Feel free to use the template press release included in this guide as a jumping off point.
NACo encourages counties to share with us what programs you'll be highlighting this NCGM through two major channels:
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Counties MatterNational County Government Month offers an opportunity to educate residents about county programs, services and responsibilities. It is also an opportunity to promote county priorities. As part of NCGM, prepare and distribute county fact sheets. Some counties roll out a “County Fact of the Day” or distribute fact sheets representing key county departments, such as public safety, parks and recreation, public works and health. Help our residents see just how much Counties Matter. |
Send the fact sheets to the media, post them on the county website and distribute via social media. Fact sheets can highlight county services and programs provided by your county. Examples include:
Children and Families |
How many children, senior citizens or veterans received county services last year? Does your county support a child mentoring program or local food bank? How is your county investing in early childhood development? |
Emergency Response, Public Safety and Justice |
How many trained emergency responders are employed by the county? How many trained volunteer emergency responders serve the county? How many emergency calls were responded to last year? How many bookings were processed at the county jail last year? What is the daily average jail population? |
Health & Hospitals |
How many patients were served last year at county hospitals and clinics? How many health department inspections were conducted last year? How many vaccinations were administered last year? How many emergency room visits were made last year? How many nursing homes are in the county? How many county residents have health insurance? |
Older Americans |
How many seniors did your county serve last year? How does your county support caregivers? Does your county have programs to assist residents with mobility challenges? |
Economy & Employment |
How many people are unemployed in the county? What is the average county wage? How many residents received direct job training or unemployment services last year? How many businesses have been added to the county? How many new jobs have they brought in? |
Veterans Services |
How many veterans are in your county? How does your county serve veterans in your community? |
NACo’s online interactive County Explorer tool is an excellent source of data on every county, parish and borough in America. It includes county and state-specific profiles on issues such as transportation infrastructure, public lands and forest management, community development and others.
A great way to educate residents about county services is inviting them to visit county facilities for an open house or public tour. If your office is not open for visits due to continuing COVID restrictions, consider a virtual tour.
Be sure to keep the public informed of what’s happening on the front lines. Stream meetings over your social media outlets and other digital platforms or offer virtual tours of meeting spaces.
Inform residents of how they can help and what communities or businesses in your county they can offer aid to.
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Include schools in your National County Government Month activities to enable students to learn about county government.
NACo’s civic education resources provide perfect opportunities to inform young people about county government and have fun at the same time.
Developed in partnership with iCivics, the “Counties Work” online educational game and the downloadable “My County Works” activity book for young children are great activities individuals can enjoy from their homes.
The game educates students (and adults!) about local government functions by letting them run their own county. Along the way, they will learn about the many services provided by county departments while having to balance citizen requests and budgets.
The “My County Works” activity book offers hours of education and entertainment for elementary students.
Both resources are free and accessible at NACo.org/iCivics.
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National County Government Month is an ideal time to discuss national policy issues affecting county government with members of Congress who represent your county.
During NCGM, schedule a call with your congressional representative(s) or key staff in your congressional district office. Use the call to explain the great challenges facing your county and how Congress can help.
Many important issues are being debated nationally that affect counties. Be prepared with facts and information about how specific federal issues affect your county. Know where your member of Congress stands on important issues and on which committees he or she serves. Your message should be focused, compelling and relevant. To find out about NACo’s 2023 Legislative Priorities and obtain fact sheets on current national issues important to counties, click here.
Contact: Mark Ritacco, mritacco@naco.org, 202.942.4240
Sample Proclamation
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This is your one-stop online shop for NCGM design templates to produce your county’s own posters, flyers, banners, proclamations and buttons.
These additions are sure to enhance the festive atmosphere of your NCGM events. Plenty of space is available for you to add your county’s seal or unique county government month slogan or message. If you find something you want to use, download the file and add your county’s local touch.
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The NACo Media Relations Guide for Counties contains helpful tips on speaking with reporters, writing news releases, planning press conferences, and much more. |
Careful planning is essential to maximize public awareness of National County Government Month activities and the county services and programs you are highlighting. Here are effective ways to help secure positive coverage.
Inform local reporters, editors and broadcasters early and often about NCGM and your county’s plans to celebrate it.
Coordinate newsworthy events or announcements. You can launch new initiatives, announce plans for new programs or recognize county employees for their excellent public service. Keep in mind that newspapers seek in-depth facts, television stations want good visuals and radio reporters want snappy sounds bites. All reporters seek good stories. They want access to knowledgeable and articulate sources to make their stories interesting and informative.
Publish a calendar of NCGM events on your county’s website. Ask the local newspapers to publish the calendar. Ask the local television, cable and radio stations to air public service announcements about county services or events.
Prepare and send media notices well in advance for specific NCGM events. Describe who, what, where, when and why. Make it newsworthy.
Have news releases ready to distribute to the media the day of special NCGM events. Highlight what’s new, beneficial and cost-effective. Use lively, concise quotes from appropriate county officials. Provide contact information.
Actively engage with media to deliver the message that counties matter. All counties, regardless of size, can hold virtual press conferences, media tours of county facilities and programs, and effectively pitch reporters, editors and producers.
INSERT YOUR COUNTY’S LETTERHEADCONTACT: Bea Candid Able County to Celebrate National County Government Month Everytown, USA (April 1, 2023) — Able County will celebrate National County Government Month (NCGM) during the month of April to showcase how the county achieves healthy, safe and vibrant communities. The theme for this year’s celebration of NCGM is “Counties RISE!,” inspired by the signature focus of National Association of Counties (NACo) President Denise Winfrey. The theme is an acronym for and highlights Resiliency, Inclusion, Solvency, and Empowerment - all county priorities undertaken with energy and passion for building stronger counties. This year, Able County celebrates NCGM with a range of events and initiatives including: virtual tours of Able County’s government center, nomination of several county programs for NACo Achievement Awards, and the return of the popular “Able County Family Day,” to be held April XX, 2023. “Able County is proud of the programs and services we provide to our residents,” said Board Chair Allison Awesome. “Our efforts are building inclusive, resilient, thriving communities. I encourage all county residents to participate in National County Government Month outreach events to learn about the role our county plays.” Since 1991, NACo has encouraged counties across the country to raise public awareness about county roles and responsibilities during the month of April. Able County NCGM public events include: A full listing of NCGM events is available at www.ablecounty.gov. |
The emergence of social media in recent years provides tremendous opportunities to promote your NCGM events. If you already have a page on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or another platform, use it to promote activities and carry messages during NCGM. Coordinate a county government month “social media team” to plan social media outreach efforts.
#Counties deliver vital services to residents - [INSERT SPECIFIC COUNTY INFO TO HIGHLIGHT] #NCGM
Contact: Coleman Davis, cdavis@naco.org, 202.661.8834
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The National Association of Counties has many programs and initiatives available to assist counties.
Below is a snapshot of NACo programs designed to help counties thrive. If your county participates in any of these programs, NCGM is an excellent opportunity to inform the public about them. If your county does not participate in any of these programs, consider involving your county in one or more of NACo’s programs and announcing it during NCGM.
The NACo COVID-19 Recovery Clearinghouse features critical resources for counties, including allocation estimations, examples of county programs using federal coronavirus relief funds, the latest news and more.
Contacts: Teryn Zmuda, TZmuda@naco.org, 202.661.8821 | Eryn Hurley, EHurley@naco.org, 202.942.4204
To help counties implement innovative and effective local programs, NACo provides members with information, trainings and assistance to engage counties and multi-sector partners bound by a common interest in growing stronger, more competitive, more equitable counties and communities. The Resilient Economies and Communities practice area supports county leaders seeking to develop and implement creative, innovative, locally driven strategies that will foster economic growth and ensure long-term county resiliency.
Topics within this practice area include:
Contact: Jennifer Kuiper, JKuiper@naco.org, 202.942.4253
The National Association of Counties (NACo) Live Healthy Prescription, Health & Dental Discount Program is a NO-COST program available to all member counties. It provides relief to uninsured and underinsured Americans who face growing health costs offering three ways to save:
Since 2004, nearly 1,300 counties, parishes and boroughs joined, saving residents over $725 million over 51 million prescriptions. The Live Healthy Program is NOT insurance.
NACo provides all marketing resources AT NO COST to participating counties through a self-service portal. Access digital and printed resources on demand to promote the program to the residents. County Live Healthy contacts have been given access to the self-service portal.
Contact: NACo Membership Team, LiveHealthy@naco.org, 202.661.8832
*Prescription savings may vary by drug and pharmacy; discounts are only available at participating pharmacies. Health and dental discounts are subject to coverage and are available in every state except Washington. MinuteClinic discounts are available in 33 states and the District of Columbia
Contact: NACo Membership Team, LiveHealthy@naco.org, 202.661.8832
*Prescription savings may vary by drug and pharmacy; discounts are only available at participating pharmacies. Health and dental discounts are subject to coverage and are available in every state except Washington. MinuteClinic discounts are available in 33 states and the District of Columbia
The Smart Justice Initiative aims to build knowledge and capacity for successful justice policies and practices among the nation’s counties and provide a closer examination of the need for intergovernmental collaboration and public private partnerships in an effort to create safer communities and invest taxpayer resources more effectively. Issues include pre-trial services, post-release service coordination, justice and mental health collaboration, supportive housing, and employment.
Contact: Nastassia Walsh, nwalsh@naco.org, 202.942.4289
In May 2015, NACo, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation launched Stepping Up: A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails. Since then, more than 500 counties have joined the initiative.
Stepping Up participants receive a resources toolkit to assist with efforts, including webinars, networking calls, online tools, peer exchanges, conference workshops and a comprehensive resource library. Find out more and join the initiative at www.StepUpTogether.org.
Contact: Nastassia Walsh, nwalsh@naco.org, 202.942.4289
NACo launched the Healthy Counties Initiative in 2011 to enhance public-private partnerships in local health delivery, improve individual and community health and assist counties in implementing federal health reform. The initiative engages county officials and private sector partners to:
Contact: Nastassia Walsh, nwalsh@naco.org, 202.942.4289
NACo’s Defined Contribution and Retirement Services Program offers county employees a voluntary, tax-deferred savings opportunity to supplement employer-sponsored retirement plans. It also offers a 401(a) match and stand-alone defined contribution plans. Since NACo’s partnership with Nationwide began, we’ve helped more than 1.5 million county employees and retirees save billions of dollars for retirement.
Thank you for your interest in celebrating National County Government Month! NACo wants to know what activities and programs you have planned so we can share this information with other counties to help them have successful NCGM celebrations. Please use the online form below, and be sure to send NACo your proclamations, photos and videos of your county’s celebrations.
If your county is on social media, please share your activities, photos and proclamations, tagging NACo’s Facebook Page or using the Twitter hashtag #NCGM.
Thank you for your commitment to county government!
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Participants from counties of all sizes come together to shape NACo’s federal policy agenda, share proven practices and strengthen knowledge networks to help improve residents’ lives and the efficiency of county government.
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