Commissioner Liz Stefanics (District 5) and Commissioner Miguel Chavez (District 2) participated in the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2015 Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference held in Kauai County, Hawaii May 20–22. Commissioner Stefanics participated in the National Association of Counties (NACo)Board of Directors meeting, in conjunction with its 2015 Western Interstate Region (WIR)Conference. The conference brought together hundreds of western officials to address a range of priorities and discuss decisions being made at the federal level. With critical legislative and regulatory issues being debated in the nation’s capital, county leaders discussed issues particularly important to western communities. These issues included: - Federal funding through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) programs,
- Forest health, active forest management and wildfire suppression,
- Proposed redefinition of “Waters of the U.S.,”
- Reauthorization of federal transportation programs, and
- Endangered Species Act reform.
Board business included a review of the association’s finances and a plan for relocating its office. Staff provided an update on the NACo Financial Services Corporation, the primary revenue source for the association. “As a member of the NACo Board, I am able to provide input that guides the efforts of NACo to suit the needs of Santa Fe County as well as other counties in the State of New Mexico. Each county is unique, but we can learn from one another to address the challenges counties and residents face. ” said Commissioner Liz Stefanics. WIR President Leslie Robinson, Phillips County, Mont. commissioner chair, unveiled a new video– “Federal public lands matter to counties” – to assist counties with federal advocacy efforts. The video describes how the PILT and SRS programs impact counties, their residents and visitors. The conference brought together nationally-renowned experts, state and federal policy leaders and county officials from across the country. Featured speakers included Doug McKalip, senior advisor to the secretary, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; Kauai Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr.; and Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ford Fuchigami. General sessions focused on priority issues like transportation, infrastructure and cybersecurity for counties. Steering committee meetings and workshops allowed participants to delve into topics important to counties. These discussions included county innovations in rural economic development; water conservation and drought resiliency; invasive species; county appraisal best practices; the impact of medical and recreational marijuana legalization on counties; and heroin and prescription drug abuse. Commissioners Stefanics and Commissioner Chavez attended workshops that focused on disaster preparation, public lands and federal legislation and regulation. “It’s important for Santa Fe County to have an active role in shaping key federal policies that affect us every day and this training will assist Santa Fe County for several years in the future. I believe that we can have a greater impact on federal changes collectively rather than each county working independently,” Commissioner Chavez stated. He added, “It was particularly helpful to learn about new federal efforts to combat childhood rural poverty.” WIR’s membership consists of 15 western states: Alaska, Hawaii, Wash., Ore., Calif., Idaho, Nev., Ariz., Mont., Wyo., Colo., N.M., Utah, N.D. and S.D. For more information about WIR, visit: http://www.naco.org/WIR. |
