Handbook for Alabama County Commissioners - Association of

284 Pages·2012·1.83 MB·English

Handbook
for Alabama
County
Commissioners

Eleventh Edition

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page

Introduction .................................................................................. xiii
Chapter I. The Legal Status of the Alabama County .....................1
A. Legal Nature.............................................................1
1. County Liability ...........................................4
2. Commissioners' Civil Liability ....................8
a. Judicial vs. Ministerial Acts .............8
b. Official Liability ..............................9
c. Personal Liability ...........................12
3. Commissioners' Criminal Liability ............19
4. Liability for Civil Rights Violations Under
42 U.S.C. § 1983 ........................................20
a. Background ....................................21
b. Local Government Liability
Under Monell .................................21
c. Liability of Commissioners............22
B. Legislative-County Relationships ..........................23
1. Restrictions on Legislation Relating to
Counties .....................................................24
2. Advertising Required for Local Bills .........29
3. Modification of Procedure for General
Bills of Local Application ..........................30
C. County Boundaries.................................................31

Chapter II. The Organization of Alabama County
Government ................................................................33
A. The Governing Body..............................................33
1. Designation ................................................33
2. Composition ...............................................34
3. Terms of Office ..........................................36
4. Qualifications .............................................37
5. Ethics Act ...................................................37
6. Compensation ............................................42
7. Removal and Vacancies .............................45
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8. Alabama’s Open Meetings Law.................46
a. History of the Open Meetings
Debate ............................................46
b. The New Open Meetings Law .......47
9. Powers ........................................................64
B. Other Officers and Agencies ..................................79
1. County Commission Chairperson ..............79
2. Probate Judge as County Commission
Chairperson ................................................80
3. County Administrator ................................81
4. Courts and Judges ......................................84
5. Clerk of the Circuit Court ..........................85
6. District Attorney ........................................86
7. County Attorney.........................................87
8. Sheriff ........................................................88
a. Compensation ................................88
b. Election duties ................................89
c. Jails ................................................89
9. Constable....................................................90
10. Coroner ......................................................91
11. Tax Assessor ..............................................91
12. Board of Equalization ................................94
13. Tax Collector .............................................95
14. Revenue Commissioner .............................97
15. License Commissioner ...............................99
16. Supernumerary Tax Collectors, Tax
Assessors, License Commissioners, and
Revenue Commissioners ..........................102
17. Treasurer or Depository ...........................103
18. License Inspector .....................................105
19. Board of Registrars ..................................106
a. Meetings .......................................106
b. Voters' List ...................................107
20. Department of Human Resources ............108
21. Library Board ...........................................110
22. Extension Agent .......................................111
23. Board of Education ..................................111

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24. Superintendent of Education ....................112
25. Board of Health ........................................113
26. County Law Libraries ..............................115
27. County Emergency Management
Agency .....................................................115
28. Emergency Telephone Service ................116
29. Department of Homeland Security ..........117

Chapter III. Highway Administration ........................................119
A. Administration of the Highway Function ............119
1. District System .........................................119
2. Unit System ..............................................120
B. County Engineers .................................................121
C. Highway Funds ....................................................122
1. Background ..............................................122
2. Earmarking of Particular Revenues .........123
3. Motor Vehicle Registration Receipts .......123
4. Drivers' Licenses and Vehicle
Registration Reinstatement ......................124
5. Gasoline Tax ............................................125
a. Gasoline Excise Taxes .................126
b. Lubricating Oil Excise Tax ..........126
c. Petroleum Inspection Fees ...........126
d. Motor Vehicle License Taxes
and Registration Fees ...................127
e. Miscellaneous State Revenue
Sources .........................................127
D. Federal Sources ....................................................128

Chapter IV. Financial Administration .......................................133
A. Revenue Sources ..................................................133
1. The General Property Tax ........................133
a. Assessed Valuations and Rates
of Taxation ...................................133
b. General Exemptions .....................135
c. Homestead Exemption .................138
d. Allocation of Revenues ................143

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e. The Lid Bill ..................................145
f. Current Use Law ..........................147
g. The Assessment Process ..............149
h. The Collection Process ................150
2. Other Local Tax Sources .........................151
a. Sales and Use Taxes.....................151
b. License Taxes...............................153
c. Local Acts ....................................154
3. Intergovernmental Sources ......................154
a. State Sources ................................155
b. Federal Sources ............................166
B. Establishing the County Budgets .........................170
1. Issuance of Warrants ................................172
C. Disbursement of County Funds ...........................172
1. Claims and Preference of Claims .............172
2. Warrants (Checks) ...................................174
3. Unexpended Funds...................................174
4. Purchases and the Competitive Bid
Law ..........................................................175
a. Exemptions/Exclusions ................175
b. Advertising ...................................180
c. Bidders Requirements ..................181
d. Award of Contract........................181
e. Public Inspection ..........................182
f. Contract Requirements.................182
g. Prohibitions/Violations ................183
h. Contracts Violating Competitive
Bid Law ........................................183
i. Governmental Leasing .................184
5. Public Works Contracts ...........................184
a. Exemptions/Exclusions ................185
b. Bidding Options ...........................188
c. Awarding Authority Options .......189
d. Payment Options ..........................190
e. Accounting ...................................191
f. Financial Reporting ......................192
g. County Indebtedness ....................193

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h. State Administrative
Supervision ..................................199

Chapter V. Elections ..................................................................201
A. Office of County Commission .............................201
B. Poll Workers and Election Expenses ...................201
C. State Reimbursement ...........................................203
D. Precincts ...............................................................204
1. Precinct Boundaries .................................205
a. When Precinct Boundaries Change ...205
b. When Precinct Boundaries Do
Not Change ..............................................206
c. How Precinct Boundaries
Change .........................................207
d. Preclearance .................................207
E. Selecting Polling Places .......................................208
F. Assigning Ballot Boxes and Voting Machines ....208
G. Voting Districts ....................................................209
H. Voting Centers .....................................................210
I. Voting Equipment ................................................210
J. Voter Registration Functions ...............................213
1. Support for the Board of Registrars .........213
2. Support for the Probate Judge ..................214
3. Voting Hours ............................................214
4. Absentee Elections ...................................214

Chapter VI. Other Functions ......................................................217
A. Cooperative Extension System ............................217
B. Planning, Zoning, and Eminent Domain..............218
1. Land Use Control .....................................218
2. Regional Planning Commissions .............219
3. Eminent Domain ......................................221
3. Emergency Planning ................................222
C. Public Building Authorities .................................222
D. Corporate Services ...............................................223
1. Utility Services.........................................225
2. Airports ....................................................227

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3. Hospitals ..................................................228
4. Indigent Health Care ................................230
5. Water Conservation and Irrigation...........232
6. Forest Protection ......................................232
7. Fire Districts.............................................233
8. Park and Recreation Authority.................234
9. Housing Authorities .................................236
10. Ambulance Service ..................................238
11. Dog Pounds ..............................................238
E. Personnel ..............................................................239
1. Political Activity of County Personnel ....239
2. Assistance in Employee Benefits .............240
3. Civil Service Systems ..............................240
4. Labor Relations in Local Government .....241
a. Labor Relations Concepts ............241
b. Labor Laws Applicable to
Alabama .......................................243
F. The Association of County Commissions of
Alabama ...............................................................247
G. Alabama Local Government Training Institute ...249

Chapter VII.
Appendix A ......................................................................251
Appendix B ......................................................................257

Index ............................................................................................259
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INTRODUCTION

History of County Government

Counties are political subdivisions of our states, organized
to assist in the local administration of state functions. Historically,
they descend from local government areas established in early
England -- the English county and, beyond that, the Saxon shire in
existence before the Norman Conquest of 1066. They were first
established in the American colonies during the 17th century and
were especially important units of local government in the
southern colonies. The counties proved more acceptable to
American tastes than some colonial local governmental units, such
as parishes and hundreds, and after the separation from England,
spread virtually throughout the country as it was developed and
formed into states,. There are now more than 3,000 counties in the
United States, and (considering as counties the Louisiana
"parishes" and Alaskan "boroughs") they exist as functioning units
of government in every state except Connecticut and Rhode
Island.1

The average number of counties in the states is around 60,
but Delaware, for example has only three counties, while Texas
has 254, the biggest number found in any state. Variations
throughout the country in the physical and economic
characteristics of counties, and in the structure and responsibilities
of county government, are similarly broad. It may be said,
however, that the county is functionally less important in New
England than elsewhere in the United States. In the New England
states the town -- a distinctive governmental area in that region,
which contains rural as well as urban territory -- has been a
primary unit of local government since colonial times. Counties

1This overview of county government in the United States is
partially based on Clyde F. Snider, American State and Local
Government (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1965), Part V,
"Local Organization and Powers;" and New County, U.S.A.
Center, National Association of Counties From America's Counties
Today, 1973 (Washington, D.C., 19730.
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are most important in the South and West. In other areas,
especially some Middle Western and Middle Atlantic states,
townships have been organized as governmental units and,
although they are decreasing in importance, still share with
counties responsibility for the administration of some local
governmental functions.

Counties have been traditionally responsible for the local
performance of such state functions as the administration of
justice, law enforcement, road and bridge construction and
maintenance, the recording of legal papers, property tax
administration, poor relief, election administration, and education
administration. But in more recent years they have been
authorized to engage in many additional activities, including
functions in connection with public health, agriculture, recreation,
libraries, airports, and a broad program of public welfare.
Moreover, some counties now provide services once considered
wholly municipal in character, such as fire protection and public
utility services. Modern counties may also engage in such other
"municipal" activities as planning and zoning and the provision of
public housing facilities. Primarily, these functional developments
have occurred in response to service needs generated by relatively
recent patterns of population shifts in the United States. It should
be noted, however, that increased involvement with federal
programs and sub-state regional units has added appreciably to the
complexity of county administration.

Forms of government established for the administration of
county functions vary considerably from state to state and even
within states. But despite these structural differences the design of
most county governments generally conforms to a broad pattern.
Usually, there is no separate legislative body in the county
government and no chief executive officer. Both the legislative
and administrative powers normally are vested in an elective board
or commission which, in a limited sense, functions as the county
governing body. In addition to the governing body, there are
found within the county a number of separate officers, boards, and
other agencies administering various county functions. The county
officers -- such as judges, sheriff, prosecuting attorney, coroner,
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