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November / December 2009
Volume 21, Number 6

By J.D. Johnson, Tarrant County Commissioner and President, Texas Association of Counties

TAC Offers an Impressive Mix of Services

A few weeks ago, the county officials who serve on the TAC Service Corporation Board of Directors worked all day and into the evening considering TAC’s proposed budget for 2010. Just as we do when we go through the budget process
in our own courthouses, we took a hard look at the entire organization’s ongoing operations.

As we examined their numbers, it struck me that over the years, TAC has developed an impressive assortment of programs that help counties operate more efficiently and effectively, with the bottom line being ways to save local taxpayers money. Initiated at the direction of its boards of directors over the past four decades, these services touch virtually all aspects of Texas county government.

Consider the Legal Department’s toll-free hotline (888-ASK-TAC4). As many as 25 calls a day come from officials and staff trying to navigate the state statutes to figure out how to get their jobs done according to the law. Many questions are on issues that the legal staff has tackled before and can be answered quickly. Others require extensive research of statutes, attorney general opinions and case law. The net effect is ready, no-cost insights for counties.

Then there is the Legislative staff. It carefully monitors activities of lawmakers and state agency regulators to keep an eye on not only potential unfunded mandates but also for opportunities for intergovernmental assistance such as grants and economic stimulus programs. The data specialists with the Legislative Department’s County Information Project are a ready source of reliable information for lawmakers and bureaucrats. Using existing state and federal statistics and through county surveys, they help state policy-makers understand the potential cost to local taxpayers of new initiatives.

TAC also offers extensive continuing education programs. Because county offices are hands-on management jobs, it’s important that officials are informed about issues ranging from the effect of new laws to how to comply with federal employment statutes. All of TAC’s education programs meet the stringent standards set by the International Association of Continuing Education Trainers; no other organization offering county education hours in Texas meets those standards.

The list goes on:

• TAC’s self-insurance programs offer prices that in most cases are lower than commercial companies and have issued tens of millions of dollars in renewal credits to renewing members;
  
  
• Loss control programs, which are available to all counties, help counties avoid costs through better safety, fewer lawsuits and more effective operations of jails and law enforcement — information is disseminated through regional seminars, special on-site training, a real-life driving simulator and a video lending library, among other ways;
  
  
• TAC’s County Information Resources Agency provides Web sites for 182 counties and more than 3,500 email accounts and is aggressively seeking ways to standardize frequently used county software;
  
  
• Through its support of the TAC Leadership Foundation, TAC promotes the development of innovative programs in counties across the state by presenting County Best Practices Awards to those programs deserving recognition;
  
  
• Working with other local government associations, the Buyboard program offers a cooperative purchasing alternative to keep down the costs of goods and services;
  
  
• County-specific email listserves enable officials to get advice from their peers about common concerns; and
  
  
• Citizens can save their personal time and money by visiting the TAC-sponsored www.texascounties4U.org, where they can view explanatory videos on common services, such as how to get marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, passports, tax exemptions, disabled license plates and name changes.

That’s still just a partial listing of TAC services.

Counties — and their taxpayers — are able to count on TAC to continue to “push the envelope” in assisting counties in getting more done with less.

Finally, this is my last opportunity to present a report on behalf of the TAC leadership. My two-year term as president wraps up in December. I want to thank our board members for their volunteered time and energy in support of all Texas counties.