County officials the face of government for many
“Local government is where the rubber meets the road” has been a phrase I’ve heard off and on during the two decades I’ve been in public service.
Many a politician and bureaucrat share the adage as they talk about the importance of being on the front line in service, whatever their government role.
As we head into September with a new slate of county officials, fresh off their election in early August, the saying comes back to mind.
During a major training event recently held by the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), an agency of the UT Institute for Public Service (IPS), one of the speakers pointed out that our county officials are the “face” of government for every Tennessean.
All 6.3 million citizens of our great state are served in some way by a county official, whether it is filing that amended document to add a spouse to a deed, renewing license plates for the next year, driving down the road past a patrol car, or hearing debate on a proposed budget amendment.
Rodney Archer, executive director of the County Officials Association of Tennessee (COAT), spoke to the group of Tennessee county officials attending the CTAS training event.
He reminded them of the trust the public has placed in their newly elected government officials. He said their service was for a constituency of friends and neighbors who voted them into office – or campaigned against them.
“County officials set the tone for what our 6.3 million citizens think about and how they feel about their governments, regardless of the level – federal, state or local,” said Archer.
The group Archer spoke to that night took their oaths and started their four-year terms on Sept. 1.
The CTAS training program is designed to provide legal and technical advice for those officials, some of whom have never served, as they take over their new duties. Keeping public offices running smoothly, despite personnel changes, is a primary goal of the training.
When residents think of government in general, their first thought is that county trustee or county clerk. They think about the county mayor who might be speaking at a commission meeting, where a rezoning issue is being hotly deliberated.
As new county officials take office, government service does not stop or even slow down. Law enforcement will still respond the first minute of a sheriff ’s new term, auto licenses will still be issued and, yes, still be collected. All of these things will occur without a hiccup, mainly because of the commitment to service these county officials have.
The citizens they serve are not nameless faces. They are our neighbors, the folks who sit alongside us on the same church pew or share the road as we commute to our jobs every day. They are the ones who cheer for the home team at the local football game on Friday night or grieve at the local funeral home when a friend or family member passes.
As we mourn the recent passing of U.S. Sen. John McCain, we are reminded of what draws us to public service in the first place. The names and faces we dedicate ourselves to, regardless of race, creed or color, political party or religion.
As both Senator McCain and Rodney Archer would advise, we are the face they look for in their time of need.
Brett Howell is a communications specialist with the UT County Technical Assistance Service.