As the voice of America’s county governments, the National Association of Counties (NACo) plays an instrumental role in our nation’s intergovernmental partnership among federal, state, local and tribal government officials. More than 19,000 elected county board members and executives nationwide set the general policies and budgets of the nation’s 3,069 county governments, with nearly 18,500 independently elected county officials also playing key leadership roles for specific areas of county responsibilities. Counties also employ more than 3.6 million Americans dedicated to excellence in public service.

The NACo Blueprint is focused on harnessing the collective powers, knowledge and innovations of county officials to address issues affecting America’s counties, ultimately helping people and places to thrive. Since the founding days of America’s first counties in 1634, the county landscape has changed significantly. Yet, the fundamentals remain the same: stronger counties are the building blocks for a stronger America.