Narcan vending machines help deter overdose deaths
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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES VOL. 55, NO. 7 APRIL 24, 2023
Narcan vending
machines help deter
overdose deaths
by Meredith Moran which are funded through a
staff writer grant program the center has
with the Michigan Depart-
Vending machines stocked ment of Health and Human
with Narcan are popping up Services, distributed over
all over the country, increas- 7,075 kits last year, according
ing access to the overdose-re- to CBHJ Program Manager
versing drug and alleviating Matthew Costello.
the stigma of substance use “We understand a primary
disorder. Through state fund- utilizer of our machines is go-
ing, Wayne State University’s ing to be people who may not
Center for Behavioral Health be opioid involved at all, but
and Justice (CBHJ), located they know of a loved one or
in Wayne County, Mich., is a person that they care about
installing dispensers in 27 who is, and want to be pre- A fisherman removes a derelict crab trap from the Chesapeake Bay. Photo courtesy of Baltimore County, Md.
counties throughout the state pared for that,” Costello said.
in county jails and organiza-
tions that specialize in harm
“For somebody who’s not
involved, it’s like any other Baltimore County bay cleanup
reduction and recovery.
The hope is that providing
Narcan in such a convenient
emergency situation — if you
come across somebody on the
street or in your workplace or
aids local ecosystem, crabbing
way at no cost will encourage something like that, you can by Charlie Ban throughout the Chesapeake sunk to the bottom of the bay,
all people, whether they per- then have the opportunity to senior writer Bay were inadvertently severing still serving as an obstacle for
sonally use substances or not, administer a life-saving an- the ropes that connected buoys crabs but keeping them from
to carry the life-saving drug. tidote medication right away It was the problem that flew to thousands of traps that fed the watermen and waterwomen
More than 106,000 people without delay.” under the radar. Or to be more Maryland’s appetite for blue who brought them to market.
died in 2021 from drug-in- Narcan is available at more accurate, plummeted below the crabs. With the cages no longer For the last two years, Balti-
volved overdose deaths, ac- than 1,575 pharmacies across sonar. tethered to something keeping
cording to the National Insti- Michigan and is covered by Propellors pushing boats them close to the surface, they See CLEANUP page 3
tute on Drug Abuse.
The vending machines, See NARCAN page 2
‘Breaking Bad’ actor’s role of a
“We keep defibrillators in just about every pub-
lic space that there are out there, why are we not lifetime: County commissioner
doing these same kinds of things for Naloxone?” by Meredith Moran ish — this is where referencing the title
staff writer our land is, these are of his 2022 stand-up
— Matthew Costello, Center for Behavioral
Health and Justice, Wayne State University, Mich. our people and now comedy special.
Steven Michael Quezada is in 2023, they’re all Quezada never
what performers call a quadru- our people. No mat- planned to go into
ple threat - he’s an actor, a writ- ter where you came government but has
er, a producer... and an elected from, if you just always been involved
official. The string that ties all moved here yester- Quezada in the community
of them together? Bernalillo day or if your family has been — from working with a gang
County, N.M here as long as my family has, intervention program in his
“My family goes back 700 we’re family now. I tell people, 20s to becoming the president
years here,” Quezada said. “I’m ‘You’re a Mexican now, you’re of the governing council at his
mostly Native American, my just a ‘new’ one, a New Mexi-
bloodline is 23 percent Span- can now,’” he said with a laugh, See QUEZADA page 3
2 APRIL 24, 2023 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES COUNTY NEWS
Vending machines dispensing free Narcan provide anonymity
From NARCAN page 1 of the Naloxone medication opioids a problem?’
itself,” Costello said. “So, we So, it created an out-
Medicaid and other forms of feel that we’d be very vulner- come people weren’t
insurance; however, as it be- able should that opportunity necessarily comfort-
comes more widely available, to order it through the portal able with.”
health economists predict the be closed.” Amanda Wills, an
new price to receive the drug In addition to providing administrative as-
over-the-counter will be be- Narcan at no cost, a draw of sistant at Live Rite
tween $35 and $65 before the the vending machine struc- Structured Recov-
retail markup, as reported in ture is the anonymity it pro- ery Resource Center,
The New York Times. vides, as it doesn’t collect any located in Macomb
The center is working with identifiable information from County, Mich., said
Shaffer Distributing Co., those who use them. that she’s seen “a lot”
which traditionally sells the “I could walk up to any one more people access
vending machines for $3,400 of our machines right now, Narcan through the
to $11,000, to place the ma- hit ‘33,’ a kit drops and I walk center’s vending ma-
chines. Fifteen machines away and nobody’s the wiser,” chine than by asking
were installed through the Costello said. “You could go staff for doses since
grant in FY 2022 and 20 more to a participating pharmacy the machine was in-
will be installed in FY 2023. and get a free kit of Narcan, stalled in January.
“We understand — wheth- but when we’d have some of Live Rite is the first
er it be the community sites our partners do that, they’d location in Macomb
we’re placing them in or the go to their doctor and shortly County to install a
jails — most of them are in thereafter it would be on their machine through the
budgets that probably would medical record. CBHJ grant, and as of
not be robust enough to be “The doctor would be like ‘I April 1, its dispensed
able to support the purchase see you got a Narcan kit, are 90 boxes, according to
Wills.
“We’re trying to
cover as many bases
A vending machine dispenses Narcan, an overdose-reversing drug.
as we can,” Wills said.
“We already handed it out in upon release from jail are 129 people coming in and going
2023 HURRICANE SEASON PROJECTION the office, so we thought it times higher than that of the through very difficult opioid
would be great to have a ma- general population. Accord- withdrawals, and there’s real-
chine here, so that way, even ing to Costello, around 60 ly not much that was going on
when our office isn’t open percent of the vending ma- to provide services for them,
— like in the evenings for AA chines installed through the so the sheriff ’s offices need to
and NA meetings — people grant are in county jails. work around that.”
could still get it after-hours.” “One thing jails don’t need To get the word out about
Release vestibules in county to be educated on is the depth the Narcan dispensers, the
jails are a convenient location of the opioid crisis, because Center for Behavioral Health
for the vending machines, they’re living it every day,” and Justice reached out to
because they’re open 24/7 to Costello said. “Urban jails,
See NARCAN page 15
Hurricane season is June 1-Nov. 30
the public and overdose rates rural jails — they’re all getting
INFORMATION NUMBERS CORRECTION
Named storms...................................................11-15 Oops!
Hurricane-strength................................................ 4-8 In the March 27 issue of County News, Profiles in Ser-
Major hurricanes................................................... 1-3 vice featured Pasco County, Fla. Commissioner Kathryn
Direct U.S. impact.................................................. 2-4 Starkey. She has served the public for 16 years, not six
2022 hurricane damage...........................$165 billion years. We regret the error.
Source: AccuWeather
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COUNTY NEWS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES APRIL 24, 2023 3
County cleans up ‘ghost traps’ ‘To govern is to try to help the most people’
From CLEANUP page 1 feet by 3 feet. From QUEZADA page 1 ing to help the most amount tration agent Steve Gomez in
“By periodically removing of people, and a lot of times I “Breaking Bad.”
more County has been support- these crab traps, there’s an im- children’s charter school. think we make decisions based Quezada studied Shake-
ing an annual removal of dere- mediate impact on the fisheries “If you want your commu- on a minority of people. speare in college — even tak-
lict crab pots, removing a hazard population and, one could ar- nity to be successful and suc- “So, immigration — of the ing on the titular role in East-
to aquatic life and helping sup- gue, an economic benefit too,” ceed, the best way for that to people that come here, we ern New Mexico University’s
port a vital part of the county’s he said. happen is for you to be in- punish 100 percent based on performance of Richard III
economy and character. In 2022, a $125,000 allocation volved, so I took that step,” the actions of 3 percent,” he — but it soon became clear to
“It’s a form of competi- funded the removal of 2,051 Quezada said. “… When you said. “Those 3 percent, they him that pursuing theater as
tion with fisheries,” said Ward out of a possible 3,625 objects start, you realize that you’re al- come here, and they abuse the a person of color in the 1980s
Slacum, executive director of the identified by sonar scans over ways trying to chase down the opportunities that we’re giv- wouldn’t be easy.
Oyster Recovery Partnership. a 2,000-acre area off of North funding, and funding comes ing them. Those guys I want to “I came back here to Albu-
“Crabs and other life are getting Point State Park. In 2023, 1,262 from elected officials, so you catch, but to punish the other querque, and when I audi-
caught in these viable traps, but out of 2,116 pots in a 3,000-acre get involved by first support- 97 percent that actually come tioned, the people that were
nobody is bringing them to the area off of Hart Miller Island ing people who are running for here and create opportunities doing Shakespeare here, they
surface. They’re eventually dy- came off the bay floor. Each op- office who believe in the work — not only for themselves, but wouldn’t cast me because I
ing down there and never taken eration put a major dent in what that you’re doing. for the people around them was a Mexican,” Quezada said.
to market.” had accumulated over decades, “And I kind of warned all of and their children? “And they said, ‘Well, you’re
There’s a lot of collateral and some of the materials are them that if it got to a point “… We’re making policies to a Mexican, I don’t know why
damage in addition to crabs, recycled. where I felt that they weren’t punish them instead of really you’re doing Shakespeare.’ So,
according to Baltimore County “It has a quick return,” Riter funding the programs that fixing the system to make them that bummed me out.”
natural resource specialist Dave said. “A lot of things we do in my were important to the kids and a part of our system.” Quezada then worked at a
Riter: White perch, eels, Black office take years to design and my community, that I would Hispanic or Latinos make up bilingual community theater,
Sea bass and more. build. It takes two, three, four run.” nearly 20 percent of the U.S. building sets, and wrote his
The more animals that die in years to get my projects in the Quezada followed through population; less than 8 per- own plays in his free time —
the “ghost traps,” the more they ground and then do they have on that “warning,” and was cent of county commissioners ones that created space for
attract other fish and become an immediate benefit? Not like elected to the Albuquerque are Hispanic or Latino. It was people who looked like him.
bait. Slacum estimates roughly this.” Board of Education in 2013 a lack of Latino roles in theater Following the success of his
10 percent of crab traps are lost “We’re very excited that Bal- and has represented the coun- that led Quezada to fall into comedy “The First Chicano
because of severed tether lines, timore County sees the value ty as a commissioner since his decades-spanning comedy President,” he was approached
particularly as recreational boat- in it to pursue it as a project,” 2016. career, which would eventual- to do stand-up.
ing increases in heavily crabbed Slacum said. “My oldest brother, who ly land him his Screen Actors “I told him to get away from
waters. Those ghost traps can “It’s about sustainable fish- passed away at 34 because he Guild-award winning role of
claim millions of crabs per year. ing practices, it’s about that was born with a hole in his Drug Enforcement Adminis- See QUEZADA page 16
Based on community feed- investment in our region. We heart, he was supposed to be
back, County Executive John want these fishermen to make the politician,” Quezada said.
Olszewski, Jr. directed the coun- a living, we want to help them “He was this brilliant mind
ty’s Department of Environmen- define better ways to fish more — unfortunately, his health
tal Protection and Sustainability sustainable practices removing didn’t allow him to live that
to help fund cleanup efforts led those traps. I think that that’s a long, but what he did do in his
by the Oyster Recovery Partner- sustainable practice. 34 years was pretty amazing …
ship. “It’s a win-win because they and I think that’s where I got
For two weeks each spring, are using their knowledge of the the desire to help the commu-
local watermen recruited by the area to do a good job clearing it, nity, through his lens and the
partnership have trawled the and they are being paid to ulti- way he looks at the world.
bay with grappling hooks, re- mately make the bay more pro- “… I just want to make sure
covering hundreds of pots that ductive for the industry and cut that we have the highest qual-
could be as large as 3 feet by 3 waste.” ity of life here that we possi-
bly can have, and that comes
through government, that
REQUEST YOUR FREE
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NACo STUDENT ART
create, through infrastructure
that attracts businesses, from
COMPETITION CALENDAR corporations to small busi-
nesses — we need them all
here.”
Send an email with your name, Quezada, who has long
title, county and address to: advocated for more Mexi-
can-American representation
cnews@naco.org. in politics, emphasizes the im-
portance of representation in
government, particularly on
topics like immigration.
“I think that when either
you or your family has lived
Bernalillo County, N.M. Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada
through it, you bring a different
takes the microphone. Quezada juggles his duties as a county
perspective,” Quezada said. “… commissioner with his career as an actor and comedian. Photo
To govern, to me, is you’re try- courtesy of Bernalillo County
4 APRIL 24, 2023 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES COUNTY NEWS
California counties help youth leaving
foster-care find housing with HUD vouchers
by Meredith Moran youth, so having this resource to families who are in “imminent tice, bringing together child wel- of the National Center for Hous-
staff writer help support equity is incredibly danger” of losing their children fare agencies and public hous- ing and Child Welfare and Lee
important as well.” to foster care or are unable to ing authorities in 15 California are leading the Community of
Nearly 25 percent of youth in Youth aren’t required to par- regain custody of their children counties. Practice, providing information
the U.S. experience homeless- ticipate in supportive services because of housing challenges. The Community of Practice to the participating housing
ness when they age out of the as a condition of receiving the Victor Landaverde, a Santa launched in February and hosts authorities on policy resourc-
foster care system. To combat housing voucher, but the coun- Barbara County FUP recipient, bimonthly group and individu- es, technical assistance and
the housing crisis among at- ty’s social services department said the housing voucher pro- alized sessions to work through training on the referral process,
risk youth, the Department of will work with them to deter- vided him and his children sta- more locally specific obstacles. housing navigation and building
Housing and Ur- mine what services bility and allowed him to pursue
ban Development they might need to his career as a barber.
‘We’re learning and we’re teaching and the housing
(HUD) granted 16 set them best up “At the time, I was a single
local public hous- for success in liv- parent, and it was very tough,
authorities are learning and teaching.’
ing agencies $12.9 ing independently, trying to pay rent for me and
- Simone Tureck Lee, John Burton Advocates for Youth
million for housing Krueger said. three kids,” Landaverde said.
vouchers, giving “We look at the “It gave me the opportunity to
18-to-24-year-olds array of options let me focus on other things I “We went through and had partnerships. Lee emphasized
exiting the foster that are available wanted to accomplish in my [counties], in a supportive man- the cross-county collaboration
care system the op- to the youth and life, so since I was able to know ner, set goals for themselves, like the Community of Practice has
Lee
portunity to focus work with them in that my housing was secure, I ‘What do you want to work on? fostered.
on continuing their education terms of what their needs are was able to get into and dedi- Do you want to focus on landlord “We’re learning and we’re
or getting a job instead of having and what their goals are for cate myself full-time to barber recruitment? Building out better teaching and the housing au-
to worry about how independence, and school without having to work partnerships? What are the areas thorities are learning and teach-
they’re going to put that’s how we would because it’s long hours, and if where you see deficits?’” said ing,” Lee said. “They’re experts
a roof over their prioritize which youth I had a job I would never see Simone Tureck Lee, director of of what they do, and we’re ex-
heads. we’d actually be refer- my kids, so it allowed me to be housing and health at John Bur- perts on child welfare and our
Santa Barbara ring out to this pro- home with them.” ton Advocates for Youth. “So, we partner Ruth is very close to the
County’s Housing gram,” Krueger said. Of the 16 FYI recipients, five help them set goals. housing authority, so it’s a nice
Authority received “That’s been identified of them are housing authori- “And then the technical as- balance.
over $1.1 million of through the research ties in California, where nearly sistance sessions, the individu- “The participants are really
the total funding, amounting to as really the key to the success- one-third of the nation’s home- al ones, we work toward those bringing to the table their expe-
58 housing vouchers for foster es — not just having the housing less youth population live. The goals each time so it’s, ‘OK, what riences and what’s happening
youth through the Foster Youth but actually having the support housing vouchers will be effec- are the action items coming out on the ground — what they’ve
to Independence (FYI) initia- to maintain the housing.” tive Aug. 1. of this call? Let’s make sure we tried, what’s worked, what’s not
tive. The funding “walks and The 58 vouchers, which can To determine how to best uti- work on them in the in-between worked, and that’s invaluable
talks” like the Section 8 Hous- be used for up to 36 months, will lize the FYI and FUP housing time and then on the next call, in helping us to understand, ‘Is
ing Choice Voucher Program act as an addition to the 11 that vouchers, two entities — John we’ll see where we are.’” there a policy fix at the state or
and the county’s department Santa Barbara County’s Hous- Burton Advocates for Youth and Andy Lomeli, John Burton the federal level?’ We can’t know
of social services is in charge of ing Authority already provides the National Center for Housing Advocates for Youth’s housing that unless we really understand
determining which youth are through HUD’s Family Unifica- and Child Welfare — partnered and health project manager; how these things play out on the
most at-risk for homelessness to tion Program (FUP), which is for to create a Community of Prac- Ruth White, executive director ground level.”
receive the vouchers, according
to Bernie Baggarly, training and
public information coordinator
for the Housing Authority of the
County of Santa Barbara.
“There’s such a lack of af-
fordable housing — it’s almost
impossible for any youth, and
certainly a youth who’s exiting
foster care, to be able to find
stable, affordable housing, so
without programs like this, we’d
see many more youth who are
experiencing homelessness
and the effects of that,” said
Amy Krueger, deputy director of
adult and children’s services for
the county’s department of so-
cial services. “We see a lot of the
youth who are coming through
our continuum of care are dis-
parately impacted in terms of
our African American and Lat-
inx youth as well as LGBTQ+
COUNTY NEWS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES APRIL 24, 2023 5
Health Rankings look at link between civic life, health
by Ashley Hunt with intention and provide a
foundation for civic action and
County Health Rankings & a space to deliver local pro-
Roadmaps (CHR&R) brings grams and solutions.
actionable data, evidence, Civic participation is de-
guidance and stories to sup- fined as the ways people en-
port community-led efforts gage in community life to im-
to grow community power prove conditions and shape
and improve health equity. the community’s future. Civic
CHR&R recently released their participation can be action-
2023 National Findings Re- able and realized through po-
port, “Cultivating Civic Infra- litical activities such as voting
structure and Participation for and advocacy and community
Healthier Communities.” engagement activities such as
For more than a decade, the volunteering, mentoring or do-
annual rankings have helped nating to causes.
to broaden the nation’s under- The 2023 National Findings
standing about what shapes Report details how intentional
health by providing data on investments in civic spaces such
more than 90 health-influ- as libraries, parks and schools
encing factors. County leaders can foster inclusive participa-
across the nation can use the tion and have a positive impact
rankings to find county-level on health equity. Specifically,
data on factors including hous- the report details how:
ing, children living in poverty ● Civic infrastructure does
and high school completion not look the same across U.S. completion, higher household the U.S.-Mexico Border, with- routes to underserved areas,
that all impact how well and counties. Counties in certain incomes, less income inequal- in the Black Belt Region, sur- electronic payment options
how long we live. regions of our country — gen- ity, fewer children living in rounding American Indian/ and additional grant funding.
This year’s rankings explore erally places with more social poverty and fewer adults with- Alaska Native Tribal areas and This model is now being ad-
the connection between civic and economic opportunities in out health insurance. In these within Appalachia. opted by other community or-
health and thriving people and the Northeast, West and some counties, people tend to live The report highlights Green- ganizations to address pressing
places. The report looks at two parts of the Midwest—have longer. ville County, S.C., and their ef- community health and other
elements of civic health: Civic more available and well-re- ● For all communities, forts to improve Greenlink, the needs and ensure that all voic-
infrastructure and civic par- sourced civic infrastructure. well-resourced civic infrastruc- county public transportation es are heard and valued. For
ticipation. Civic infrastructure ● Typically, civic infrastruc- ture is not a given. Regions of system. By mobilizing local more information, visit https://
includes the spaces and poli- ture goes hand in hand with so- our country bear the burden advocates called Greenshirts, www.countyhealthrankings.
cies that support opportunities cial and economic opportunity of a legacy of specific types of the county was able to lift com- org/.
for residents to stay connected and health. Counties with more structural racism and disin- munity voices to local leaders
and policies and practices that available and well-resourced vestment. Civic infrastructure about the need for enhanced Ashley Hunt is the program
foster belonging. Civic spaces civic infrastructure also have is less available and under-re- services. This resulted in ex- manager for Health in the
are created and maintained higher rates of high school sourced among counties along panded services hours, new NACo Counties Futures Lab.
WORD FRANKLIN COUNTY, MAINE
SEARCH Created by: Meredith Moran Hire
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BIFOCALS: The county’s namesake,
Benjamin Franklin, invented bifocals.
PARK: Mount Blue State Park is
Maine’s largest state park, on 8,000 Quality
CANADA: The county borders Quebec. acres and features 136 campsites.
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CLEARWATER: The annual “polar bear
dip” in honor of Chester Greenwood
SECOND: Franklin County has a
population of around 30,000 people, Staff
U D C L D R W O G I O Y E M W R X T J O Day is in Clearwater Lake. making it the second least-populous
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DAGGETT: The state’s largest glacial
erratic, Daggett Rock, is in the county.
county in the state.
SKI: Skiing is a huge attraction in the @ Jobs
area and the county is home to the
S N W A G E R B A B G M L E N G B M J R EARMUFF: The county is where ear-
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muffs were first patented.
FARMINGTON: The county seat is
Maine Ski & Snowboard Museum.
SUGARLOAF: Sugarloaf Mountain, Online
located in Carrabassett Valley, is the
S X W N I N J N D N L B H C R H G R Q I Farmington.
third-highest peak in the state.
Z K L I A D V W T W O F U G Y S E T E L GOLF: Sugarloaf Golf Club is ranked
TRAIL: A portion of the Appalachian
as a top 10 golf course nationally for
H E I C Y Z M X F Z A B B G W W B T A E Trail is located in the county.
“memorability” and “aesthetics” by
Y T I S R E V I N U F Q V K F O X B R S Golf Digest. UNIVERSITY: University of Maine
F L O G K Z W T C L E A R W A T E R M O Farmington, a founding member of the
GOVERNOR: The governor of Maine,
Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges,
H Q D R A V C W M L M M N Y A M V R U L Janet Mills, was born in Franklin County.
is located in the county.
K I A A Y T G U S X V Z S F D Y W V F F OCTAGON: Downtown Farmington’s
J P Y C N V M J D D L L Y V X H C I F L “Octagon House” is on the Nation-
C D P W R U Y B V B G E R N Q W F E B V al Register of Historic Places and
was built in 1858 by mason Cyrus
E X Y L O B T Z H X C Y Z O U L P R K X
Ramsdell.
6 APRIL 24, 2023 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES COUNTY NEWS
NACo annual business meeting, election coming up!
by John Losh guides the credentials process,
resolves any credentials dis-
NACo’s 2023 annual business putes and assists during the
meeting (ABM) and election election itself.
will be held in-person Monday, The 2023 Credentials Com-
July 24 in Travis County, Texas. mittee members are:
During the meeting, creden- ● Chair: Hon. Karen Digh Al-
tialed NACo members elect len, public administrator, Call-
NACo officers, set our nation- away County, Mo.
al policy agenda and conduct ● Member: Hon. Eugene Oli-
other association business. ver, chair, Iberia Parish, La.
Voting credentials verify a ● Member: Hon. Janet
member county, parish or bor- Thompson, commission-
ough’s eligibility to vote and er, Boone County, Mo.
the number of votes they can ● Reading Clerk: Hon. Chuck
cast at the meeting. To be eli- Washington, supervisor, River-
gible to vote, NACo members side County, Calif.
should: ● Tally Clerk: Hon. Matt Pro-
Councilmember Craig Rice of Montgomery County, Md., speaks during the NACo Annual Business
● Register for the 2023 Annual chaska, circuit clerk, Kendall
Meeting and Election July 24, 2022 in Adams County, Colo. Photo by Denny Henry
Conference County, Ill.
● Pay 2023 NACo member- clerk to the county board and iting NACo.org/VotingCreden- ● Counties with dues of NACo members will receive
ship dues in full, and conference registrants can visit tials. $1,200 to $2,399 receive two additional information on
● Designate one voting dele- NACo.org/VotingCredentials to A member’s vote total is de- votes credentials and appointing a
gate by Monday, July 17, 2023 appoint their primary delegate termined by the amount of ● Counties with dues of delegate by mail and email in
at 5 p.m. EDT. or proxy online. A proxy voter dues paid and dues are based $2,400 to $3,599 receive three June. More information can be
To facilitate the voting pro- can be another county attend- on the population of the 2010 votes, and so on accessed at NACo.org/Voting-
cess, members should only ee from the same state or your census. Every county receives ● The maximum number of Credentials or by emailing cre-
authorize one primary voting state association of counties. one vote and is allotted an ad- votes a county can receive is 51 dentials@naco.org.
delegate per county and must Paper voting credential ditional vote for each $1,200 NACo’s Credentials Com-
provide the cell phone num- forms will not be mailed to paid in dues. mittee ensures that the pro- Losh is the associate member-
ber of the voting delegate. The member counties but can be ● Counties with dues of $450 cess for the meeting is fair and ship director in NACo’s Public
county’s chief elected official, accessed electronically by vis- to $1,199 receive one vote transparent. The committee Affairs Department.
I Love My County Because...
Submit your artwork Now
accepting
at NACo.org/ART
entries!
COUNTY NEWS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES APRIL 24, 2023 7
How to make career readiness accessible
by Annie Qing ural pathways to well-paying ensure that all relevant stake- family stabilization plans, Promoting cross-
jobs for students and address- holders — including repre- streamlining the path for stu- systems collaboration
Millions of Americans face ing workforce needs for locally sentatives from marginalized dent parents to graduate and To elevate important work
barriers to achieving their ed- based employers. groups — are present for pro- secure a well-paying job. from counties like these, NACo is
ucation and employment po- However, partnerships be- gram planning and data sys- The county also offers dual launching its Counties for Career
tential. For people who are fur- tween post-secondary edu- tems alignment. high school and college pro- Success (C4CS) initiative sup-
thest from opportunity, those cation and workforce devel- They may steer the develop- gramming at Wilson Acad- porting cross-systems collabo-
barriers are often structural opment organizations should ment of program and practice emy of Applied Technology ration between post-secondary
and systemic. come with the shared vision, changes that make services (WAAT) for youth interested in education, workforce develop-
Consider a student parent, commitment and resources to more accessible, as well as cod- science, technology, engineer- ment and human services.
who lacks reliable childcare prioritize marginalized learn- ify those changes at a systems ing and mathematics (STEM) Counties interested in bridg-
and transportation. Or a recent ers. or policy level. fields. ing these systems to support
immigrant with limited English Existing workforce systems Critically, counties may also All of Wilson County’s efforts county residents who experi-
proficiency, who may not only are frequently uncoordinated, oversee the funding, resource aid in bolstering their health- ence structural inequities and
struggle to navigate the com- involving multiple program and staffing allocations that care workforce and health disparities in achieving econom-
plex job application process, rules and eligibility require- support collaborative efforts. outcomes. In Montgomery ic mobility may apply for C4CS’s
but also face discrimination ments that differ across agen- All of these levers are crucial County, Ohio, coordination inaugural eight-county cohort as
in education and employment cies. to the development of a truly between systems and levels a cross-sector team.
systems. Navigating this confusing cooperative system and coun- of government has yielded the Selected counties for the co-
Or someone experiencing web of services can not only be ties are in a unique position to largest employment and train- hort will not only receive free
homelessness who — despite stressful, but also exacerbate drive the adoption of these best ing center in the United States technical assistance, access to
their eagerness to learn and the inequities that individu- practices. Some already have. — the Montgomery County national experts and partners
work — has no permanent als face. Effective cross-sys- Jobs Center. Here, county res- and peer learning opportunities,
address, making it difficult to tems collaboration includes County success idents can access employers, but also be nationally recog-
access training or maintain post-secondary education, stories educators, social service agen- nized as leaders in this field.
steady employment. workforce development and For instance, to support its cies and representatives from For more information and to
Career and technical edu- human services. 78,000 residents, Wilson Coun- Sinclair Community College apply, please see our website at
cation (CTE) and community ty, N.C.’s Department of Social to achieve career readiness. www.naco.org/counties-for-ca-
colleges present tremendous County cross-systems Services (DSS) maintains a In 2021, the county opened reer-success or contact Annie
opportunity for individuals collaboration close partnership with Wilson its brick-and-mortar Employ- Qing, program manager for
who face these barriers. Unlike Because they serve at the Community College, where ment Opportunity Center in Health and Human Services, at
traditional four-year colleges, intersection of many agencies, DSS navigators are co-located West Dayton, where residents aqing@naco.org. Applications
these programs require less counties play a crucial role in and share data to assist with can receive mentoring and are due June 23, 2023.
time and money to complete. coordinating across systems human services, educational Workforce Innovation and Op-
And with the vision of local to improve career success out- and financial aid enrollment. portunity Act (WIOA) federal Annie Qing is program man-
government leaders, they may comes for residents. DSS specifically includes grant funds of up to $15,000 to ager for Health and Human
also be designed to meet local In many cases, they have the educational and employment pursue new skills or technical Services in NACo’s Counties Fu-
industry needs — creating nat- connections and authority to goal setting as part of their education. tures Lab.
8 APRIL 24, 2023 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES COUNTY NEWS
NACo supports counties through Reaching Rural Initiative
by Elise Simonsen visor Brad Carlyon saw a lot of
potential in the initiative.
Despite a lower overall inci- “This is not just positive
dence of substance abuse dis- change for those we are help-
order in rural counties, the lack ing, but positive change for
of access to lifesaving measures, the community,” he said. “We
treatment and support makes need to show that investment
the problem more pronounced in these programs is paying off
and persistent than in urban in the quality of life of the com-
counties, where options are munity.”
more plentiful. There are two tracks within
The Bureau of Justice Assis- the class: County teams and
tance’s Reaching Rural Initiative individuals. Fellows represent
focuses on helping rural coun- more than 80 rural communi-
ties leverage assets they may al- ties across 14 states. Fellows
ready have and forming bolder attended sessions including a
regional opportunities for col- resource roundtable with fed-
laboration to meet these chal- eral representatives, resource
lenges. The project aims to work roundtable with technical as-
across agencies to align life-sav- sistance providers and partners
Navajo County, Ariz. Supervisor Brad Carlyon speaks at the February Reaching Rural Initiative meeting.
ing measures among law en- (featuring NACo), small group
forcement, child welfare, pros- breakouts to discuss how sub- and behavioral health practi- individuals with substance use in-person network meetings.
ecutors and more. The program stance use impacts their com- tioners; city, county, and tribal or co-occurring disorders; and Additionally, this work will be
collaborates with the Centers for munity. They also discussed leaders and community groups. adopt bold solutions to the per- featured in July at NACo’s 2023
Disease Control and Prevention strategic communication and The initiative empowers rural sistent challenge of substance Annual Conference in Travis
and the State Justice Institute. how to frame issues to build practitioners to build deeper use and misuse in rural com- County, Texas.
An inaugural class of 67, com- collaboration, and took part in cross-sector networks; reimag- munities.
petitively selected fellows from other small-group activities. ine how diverse systems with This inaugural class of ru- Elise Simonsen is associate pro-
county government, met recent- This project was designed for different missions can engage ral county fellows will con- gram director for Behavioral
ly in Loudoun County, Va. rural justice and public safe- with one another to more ef- tinue to meet throughout the Health and Justice in the NACo
Navajo County, Ariz. Super- ty practitioners; public health fectively serve justice-involved year, including two additional Counties Futures Lab.
REGISTER AND VIEW THE
FULL SCHEDULE AT
TODAY NACo.ORG/EVENTS
2023 NACo
WESTERN
INTERSTATE REGION
CONFERENCE MAY 17-19
WASHINGTON
COUNTY, UTAH
COUNTY NEWS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES APRIL 24, 2023 9 Entries open for 2023 NACo-Nationwide scholarship Are you the parent, grand- ● Applicants must enroll in ● The application and entry of four decades of partnership parent or legal guardian of a a full-time undergraduate must be submitted online at between Nationwide and the high school senior? If you have course of study no later than nrsforu.com/scholarship by National Association of Coun- an active account funded by the autumn term of the 2023- May 31, 2023. ties (NACo) and its member employee dollars to a 457(b) 2024 school year at an accred- counties. For additional in- Plan offered through the ited Trade School or two or Application process formation about the NACo NACo Deferred Compensa- four-year college. Parents, grandparents or Deferred Compensation Pro- tion Program, your student is ● Immediate family mem- legal guardians should talk gram, please contact David eligible to apply for one of four bers of NACo employees, to their eligible high school Belnick at belnid1@nation- $2,500 college scholarships. members of the NACo De- seniors about applying right wide.com or 410-790-5440, or Scholarships will be awarded fined Contribution and Retire- away. Applications can be contact your Nationwide rep- in the fall of 2023. becomes more difficult if you ment Advisory Committee or completed online at nrsforu. resentative at 1-877-677-3678. In its 23rd year of existence, don’t start early. You will un- its governing board of direc- com/scholarship. Nationwide Retirement the NACo/Nationwide schol- doubtably face new financial tors, staff of individual state Solutions (Nationwide) part- arship essay contest is an ed- challenges, such as student Association of Counties that 43 years of ners with the National Asso- ucational opportunity for high debt, mortgage/rent expens- are members of the LLC and partnership — and still ciation of Counties (NACo) school students transitioning es and car payments to name Nationwide employees are not going strong to provide counties and their into a new stage of their lives. a few. There is one thing you eligible to apply; this program The NACo-Nationwide employees with a competitive Engaging young people in civ- have in your favor and that is is not offered outside the Unit- Scholarship is one of the many deferred compensation pro- ic life and responsibilities is a TIME. Even a small amount ed States. benefits available as a result gram. great way to show high school saved per pay period for re- students the valuable roles tirement over time can make that counties play in the lives a huge difference in your fu- of their residents. The 2023 ture. With time on your side, scholarship program’s goal saving for retirement becomes is to help ensure that young a much more pleasant — and people get involved and stay exciting — prospect. Please involved in local government also share, how TIME can as- — and understand the impor- sist you to overcome the fu- tance of being good stewards ture financial challenges you of their future finances. will be sure to face? To help students consider As you consider your re- the importance of saving early sponse, think of retirement and consistently, students are as an opportunity for wealth asked to write an essay that accumulation. Describe re- answers the following ques- tirement planning tools and tions (in bold): strategies that can help you Preparing for retirement determine the actions and de- early in your professional ca- cisions necessary to achieve reer provides for financial your financial independence. freedom/flexibility and an Consider using the follow- opportunity to participate in ing key strategies in your re- opportunities that you may sponse: Employer Savings not have been able to do at Programs, Compound Inter- the beginning of your career. est, Advantage of Pre-Tax Dol- During the past year, we have lars, Portability, Advantage of seen inflation rates as high as Post-Tax Dollars, Determining 9 percent, the Federal Reserve Income Goals, Risk Tolerance significantly increase interest and the idea that you may rates and, in the news, recent- have more time and fewer fi- ly, we had the largest bank fail- nancial responsibilities at a ure in the United States since younger age. 2008. What do you think these events signal about Eligibility your ability to build financial requirements wealth and independence? Graduating high school se- As you enter college, retire- niors who are legal U.S. res- ment seems so far off that it idents are eligible to apply. hardly feels real and certainly Please keep the following cri- is not a priority. In fact, it’s one teria in mind: of the most common excuses ● The applicant’s parent, young people make to justify grandparent or legal guardian not saving for retirement. As must be enrolled in and have people currently nearing re- a current employee funded tirement age will tell you, time 457(b) Plan offered through slips by before you know it, the NACo Deferred Compen- and building a sizable savings sation Program.
10 APRIL 24, 2023 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES COUNTY NEWS
My favorite music is: R&B in the actual shape of Lincoln
PROFILES IN music County, positioning it where
SERVICE My favorite U.S. presi-
BEHIND
BEHIND it’s located in the state and
dent is: Barack Obama giving it a 3D illusion.
My county is THE
EDWIN E. BOOTH
a NACo member be-
cause: Of the many services
SEAL
SEAL The arrow and
cavalry sword at the
bottom of the seal are
and valuable information it intended to highlight
NACo Board Member provides to all counties and
Beaufort County Commissioner the local Mescalero
Beaufort County, N.C. its advocacy for county priori- LINCOLN COUNTY, Apache tribe and
BOOTH
ties in federal policymaking.
N.M. the county’s Native
American history.
Number of years active
F
in NACo: 12
Years in public service: 22
The last book I read was:
“It Worked for Me: In Life and
A dream I or over 120 years,
Lincoln County, N.M.
Occupation: Retired ad- Leadership,” by Colin Powell have is to: didn’t have a county The pickaxe, brand
ministrative hearing officer for My favorite movie is: Travel to seal, until there was an and hoe at the top
state of North Carolina. “A Time to Kill” all 50 states. effort in the early 1990s to
display flags from each of
represent the im-
portance of mining,
Education: Graduate of ranching and farm-
New Mexico’s 33 coun-
Pantego High School; at- ing, respectively, to
ties in the New Mexico
tended Beaufort County the area.
State Capitol rotunda.
Community College
Stirling Spencer, a
Three people (liv- Lincoln County com-
ing or dead) I’d missioner at the time,
invite to dinner: stepped up to create
Barack Obama, the design. Wanting
Joseph Biden and to create something more
Thurgood Marshall. unique than the traditional
You’d be surprised structure of county seals,
to learn that I: Am afraid Spencer decided to make it
of flying.
Want to see your county seal featured in County News? Contact
Meredith Moran at mmoran@naco.org.
Which residents benefit from
prescription discounts?
Live Healthy helps residents:
Without Insurance
With High Deductible Plans
When Live Healthy has a better price
than insurance
Any resident (and their pets) of a county, parish or
borough participating in the Live Healthy Discount
Program are eligible to save.
Enroll now at NACo.org/Health
*The Live Healthy program is not insurance. Prescription savings may vary by drug
and pharmacy; discounts are only available at participating pharmacies.COUNTY NEWS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES APRIL 24, 2023 11
BRIGHT IDEAS WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TENN.
Animal Shelter Gets Proactive in
Wake of County Population Growth
PROBLEM:
When Williamson County’s
population increased, so did
the need for more animal
shelter services.
SOLUTION:
The county built a new shelter that
is proactive, adding low-cost and
free public service programs.
by Meredith Moran
staff writer
Williamson County, Tenn.
is one of the fastest-growing
counties in the country, and
with more people comes more
pets. When the county’s old an-
imal shelter was built in 1994,
the county population was
around 90,000. By 2040, the
county population is expected
to reach 500,000. To accommo-
date its explosive growth, the
county built a new animal cen-
ter, investing in low-cost to free
programs for owners, such as
spay/neuter services, pet train-
ing and rabies vaccine clinics.
“We’ve moved to a lot of pub-
lic service rather than just re- Cats have plenty of
room to play in light-
acting and taking the animals,”
filled spaces at the
said Ondrea Johnson, director Williamson County,
of the Williamson County An- Tenn. animal shelter.
imal Shelter. “We’re trying to Photo courtesy of county
keep animals with their origi-
nal owners and we’re trying to
provide resources for the peo- 20 percent capacity increase more like a hospital than you building each separate ward cally said, ‘Dream big, come up
ple in our community to help from the previous shelter, with do an animal holding area, be- has its own ventilation system.” with a wish list.’
them care for the animals they enough room for 88 dogs and cause we get a lot of diseases To ensure the shelter runs “… I’ve been super fortunate
have. So, in order to do that, we 164 cats. The firm Shelter Plan- and we don’t control the pop- as efficiently as possible, the that I have a county mayor, his
needed not only more kennels ners of America did an assess- ulation,” Johnson said. “We’re county created a taskforce com- chief of staff and a county com-
to house the growing animal ment for the county, analyzing open intake, most county fa- prised of shelter staff, veterinar- mission that are very open to
population in our community, data including owner rate and cilities are, which means we ians, Animal Control officers, creatively solving these prob-
but also more workspaces. owner surrender compared to have to take any stray or owner police officers, animal rescue lems,” she said. “They’re not
“In our old building, our population to determine how surrender animal that a citizen and community members. just looking at the way it’s al-
community cat coordinator, we many kennels were needed, of our county brings to us, so “Police officers know that ways been done and they’re not
joked that the shower stall was Johnson said. we get animals with ringworm, sometimes they need to make looking at just providing animal
her cubicle, but her desk was lit- Physical improvements to with parvo, with upper respi- a drop of a dog in the middle of control or just providing rabies
erally in a disabled shower stall the center — which is Occu- ratory infections — you name the night — so what does it need control — it’s ‘How can we work
because we were completely pational Safety and Health Ad- it, we get it and everything was to look like?” Johnson said. together as a community to
out of places to put people,” ministration-friendly — include getting recirculated. “What kind of spaces are con- solve some of these problems?’”
Johnson said. “Our social me- improved airflow, ultra-violet “That costs money, that’s venient for you to make your Community engagement was
dia person worked in our data sterilization ventilation systems medication and it prevents job easier? Our county mayor identified as an area the shelter
closet — it was bad.” and access to natural light for [pets] from being adopted. had the foresight to add all the wanted to build on, Johnson
The new shelter, which every animal. There are a lot of dominoes that stakeholders to that task force said, so it added community ed-
opened in February 2022, is “When you start to build a happen when an animal comes who might ever interact with
35,000 square feet and has a shelter, you have to design it into the shelter sick, so in this Animal Control, and he basi- See ANIMALS page 1212 APRIL 24, 2023 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES COUNTY NEWS
Upgrading your animal shelter and services requires community engagement
From ANIMALS page 11 survey conducted by the finan- in the food assistance pro- “We started with this idea that really well, that we already had
cial group LendEDU found that grams, we know that people will ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be great if we that built into this building, be-
ucation programming to broad- 24 percent of respondents had make poor choices for humans can offer low-cost spay- neuter cause it has been a real struggle
en who it was working with and gone into debt to pay for their in order to benefit their pets. So, that would incentivize people to nationwide.”
reaching out to, targeting those pet’s healthcare bills. you have to be sensitive to that if get their animals sterilized? We In addition to the county
experiencing homelessness, “Hurricane [Harvey] in Hous- you’re truly serving the full pop- wouldn’t have all these litters.’ funding the $15.4 million build-
those in Section 8 housing and ton, for example, my husband’s ulation of your county.” But what we didn’t know that ing of the new shelter, $3 million
school-aged children. a firefighter, so he was down When Johnson became di- was going into COVID, there in private funding created addi-
Initiatives include the Ca- there for rescue and there were rector of the shelter in 2018, she was going to be literally a crisis tional services, like free weekly
nine Advocate Program, which pet training classes. Donations
teaches awareness of dog be- will also fund up to 8,000 spay
havior and bite prevention; the
‘You have to be sensitive [to be sure] you’re and neuter services each year.
Book Buddies Reading Program truly serving the full population of your county.’ “We started trying to always
for children ages 5 to 12 to prac- be helpful when the public en-
tice their reading skills to cats; gaged us for any service, and it
a pilot program that provides people who wouldn’t leave said its biggest crisis was its cat in veterinary shortage, and it’s really went a long way to build-
adequate housing for outdoor their home — they were waist- population. so difficult to even get private ing trust,” Johnson said. “Some-
pets and the expansion of the deep in water, but they wouldn’t “Cats were literally stacked spay-neuter now that people times the donations were $5, but
shelter’s pet food bank. leave without their pets,” John- everywhere — they were in dog weren’t having access, even we tried to make a big deal over
People, regardless of their cir- son said. “So, there is a trickle crates, they were in bathrooms,” people who wanted to pay. every single kid who brought in
cumstances, will put their pet’s effect if you are going to end up she said. “I mean, they were ev- “So, we created a fee structure their piggy bank and dumped
well-being over their own, stud- putting firefighters, police offi- erywhere. Kittens and cats were where if you don’t qualify for out $2.63, all the way up to the
ies have found. Approximately 5 cers, people like that in harm’s coming out of our ears.” free or reduced-cost services, million-dollar donors.”
to 10 percent of the U.S. house- way if you don’t account for In addition to adopting a you can still pay to have your Johnson acknowledged that
less population owns a pet. It’s people’s pets. community cat program used animals spayed or neutered many counties don’t have the
been reported as common for “We know that people who in Greenville, S.C., the shelter here, because access to it on resources Williamson County
low-income seniors and peo- are on food assistance will give began offering spay/neuter ser- the private market has become has to devote to pets and said
ple with disabilities to feed their their canned chicken to their vices for all Williamson County very difficult. We had no way of there’s alternative ways to cul-
pets over themselves and a 2019 cat, because there’s no cat food pet owners. knowing that, but it worked out tivate animal well-being. At the
end of the day, it all boils down
to community engagement, she
said.
GET TO Franklin County, Maine
...
“I’m from Tennessee and the
KNOW county I’m from has a very lim-
ited Animal Control presence,
so I know that it can be hard,
Welcome to Franklin County
because in areas without as
Franklin County — named many resources, it’s hard to de-
for inventor, writer and U.S. vote and you feel like you’re de-
founding father Benjamin ferring funding from things that
Franklin – was established people need to things that ani-
by the Maine state legislature mals need, but there’s a way to
in 1838. The county borders strike a balance,” Johnson said.
Quebec, Canada and is known “You can engage your commu-
for its scenic topography, nity, you can think outside the
including White Mountain box, you can utilize volunteers,
National Forest and the Appa- you can utilize other compa-
lachian Scenic Trail. Franklin nies, you can take donated food
County has a population of from people.
just under 30,000, making “There was a time when we
it the second-least populous were using volunteer vets — we
county in Maine. Its coun- didn’t have a vet on staff, we
ty seat, Farmington, is the were using relationships within
birthplace of Maine’s current the community to accomplish a
governor, Janet Mills. lot of these things, so it’s not al-
Each year, the Franklin ways just been throwing money
at it. I really believe, when you
County Chamber of Com-
boil it all down, it’s about rela-
merce hosts a celebration updated version, replacing legislature and held on the county.
tionships and it’s about build-
in honor of Farmington the wire with bands and first Saturday of December, Also in the county are
ing trust and treating people
resident Chester Green- flannel with velvet pads. features a parade, chili Maine’s largest glacial erratic,
with dignity and meeting peo-
wood, the inventor of ear- His earmuff factory created cook-off, caroling and a Daggett Rock and its largest
ple where they are.”
muffs. To combat the cold jobs for county residents “polar bear dip” in Clearwa- state park, Mount Blue. The
when he went ice skating, for 60 years, and 1936 ter Lake. state park is located in the Williamson County’s “Chang-
Greenwood designed the marked its highest pro- The Ski Museum of Maine, town of Weld, with a popula- ing the Way We Shelter” pro-
first pair of earmuffs out of duction year with 400,000 which displays early 20th tion of fewer than 500 people. gram earned the county a NACo
wire, beaver fur and flannel pairs. “Chester Greenwood century Maine-made skis and Achievement Award in 2022 in
when he was 15 and at 19, Day,” which is officially gear and holds the Maine Ski “Get to Know” features new the Civic Education and Public
he acquired a patent for an recognized by Maine’s Hall of Fame, is located in the NACo member counties. Information category.You can also read
