Handbook for Alabama County Commissioners Eleventh Edition Click here for Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS [Clicking on headings or page numbers will skip to that page] 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 ix Page 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 x Page 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 xi Page 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 xii Page 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 xiii Page 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 xiv 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. xv 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, xvi