Alamance County Commissioner Participates in NC Association of County Commissioners Board Meeting Held in Davidson County
Lexington, N.C. – The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) held its spring Board of Directors meeting in Davidson County April 19. The meeting, which was called to order at 9:30 a.m. and concluded at 1:30 p.m., was the first in-person gathering of the Board since the Association’s offices were damaged by the five-alarm fire that lit up the skies of Raleigh the evening of March 16. Commissioner Bob Byrd of Alamance County serves on the Board as District 11 Director, representing Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham Counties.
Commissioner Byrd is honored to be an active board member of the NCACC. He states, “In addition to voting on several items of business, I was pleased to provide input on legislation that is pending in the NC General Assembly that would regionalize local Departments of Social Services, and on legislation that would support our local school system.”
During the meeting, the Board took action to adopt a resolution recognizing the firefighters who responded to the massive fire, which displaced the Association to a temporary office location five miles from downtown Raleigh. The resolution will be presented during a special event to be held in May. The Board’s agenda also included a government relations report and update on NCACC President Fred McClure’s initiative on mental health and substance abuse.
Among the efforts of the Presidential Initiative is a “Leadership Forum on Opioid Abuse” project whereby all counties will be encouraged to host a local forum of elected officials to discuss how to address the opioid crisis. A pilot forum will be held in Davidson County May 5, and the project materials will be distributed statewide shortly thereafter.
Commissioner Byrd is very excited about holding a Leadership Forum on Opioid Abuse in Alamance County. He states, “Opioid abuse is a serious problem in Alamance County and across the state and nation. This Forum will fit right in with the work of our Stepping Up Initiative to reduce the number of persons with mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse in our jail.”
The Board meeting was held in the middle of a series of district meetings which are held throughout the state. They offer area county commissioners and management staff the opportunity to discuss with other county officials and NCACC staff any issues impacting their county. The last two scheduled meetings will be held in Halifax and Tyrrell Counties April 26th and 27th, respectively.
About the NCACC: The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is the official voice of all 100 counties on issues being considered by the General Assembly, Congress and federal and state agencies. The Association provides expertise to counties in the areas of advocacy, research, risk management and education and leadership training.
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