County Magazine

The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) held a series of workshops across the state in December to acquaint newly elected and appointed county officials with the demands of county government and the statutes and rules they must navigate. 

"You can delegate authority, but you can't delegate responsibility."
— TAC County Relations Officer Alan Bristol

The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) held a series of workshops across the state in December to acquaint newly elected and appointed county officials with the demands of county government and the statutes and rules they must navigate.

The free, daylong Preparing to Take Office Workshops attracted 366 new officials from 191 counties. TAC staff members introduced attendees to the basics of county government, the legal and human resource requirements that shape how they can do county business, the benefits of building effective relationships with the Legislature and of being involved in their office-specific associations, and the importance of knowing the laws that govern open meetings and public records.

A key message: Running for office is one thing, governing quite another. "You can delegate authority, but you can't delegate responsibility," TAC County Relations Officer Alan Bristol told more than 40 new officials who attended a Dec. 13 workshop in Abilene.

Additional workshops were held during the first two weeks of December in Boerne, College Station, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Odessa, Tyler and Waco.

Each new official received a box containing a primer on smart first steps, a list of TAC services with contact information, a planning calendar of legal deadlines, a legislative guide and many other TAC resources to help them succeed from the get-go.

The contents of the box and more can be found on TAC's website, www.county.org.