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September / October 2009
Volume 21, Number 5

News you can use

Poll Shows County Officials are Gaining Optimism Despite Difficulties

County elected officials have once again given their opinions on issues related to the economy, the federal government and challenges faced by local governments.

The 2009 N ational Survey of County Elected O fficials, conducted by the N ational Center for the Study of Counties (NCSC) and prepared with help from the National Association of Counties, brings good news: for the first time since 2005, a greater percentage of county officials believe the country is on the right track, rather than heading the wrong way (48 percent to 41 percent). Last year, only 20 percent of elected officials believed the country was on the right track.

That is despite the political makeup of responders, 42 percent of whom identified as Republican and 40 percent of whom listed themselves as Democrats, though the survey’s analysis also shows that the newfound optimism springs from 79 percent of Democrats, 42 percent of Independents and 21 percent of Republicans.

Percent responding that economic conditions are “getting worse”

Responses to question: “Was the challenge of balancing your county’s budget this year easier, more difficult or about the same as in other years?”

Actions taken by counties in response to economic conditions or budget stress.

The officials were also less pessimistic about the county’s economic future than they were in last year’s poll, according to the NCSC. In 2009, 42 percent of county officials said economic conditions were worsening, compared to 53 percent last year.

And, the majority of county officials (60 percent) said they believed their county had good, cooperative relationships with their state governments. But it wasn’t all good news. Among the bad news delivered:

• 59 percent of respondents said balancing the most recent budget was more difficult this year than in previous years, which exceeded the number in last year’s poll by 10 percent;
• 78 percent of county officials said their state hinders their ability to collect revenue either significantly or somewhat;
• 21 percent of counties have reduced their employee health insurance benefits, 17 percent have laid off county employees and 7 percent have decreased contributions to employee retirement plans.

As for the poll’s main questions — the most important problem facing the country generally, and the most important problem facing the county specifically — the economy won both categories; 67 percent of respondents said it was the biggest problem for the country, and 44 percent said it was the biggest challenge faced by the county currently.

“All other issues took a backseat to the economy,” the report states, including health care (3 percent), infrastructure and energy (2 percent) and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which “hardly registered.”

And, unfunded mandates from both state and federal governments were cited as “the root of the funding and budget issues” county officials were facing.