Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, along with Commissioners Kay Cashion, Pat Tillman, Carly Cooke, Mary Beth Murphy and Brandon Gray-Hill are Florida-bound next week so they can get some serious training when it comes to running county government.
And maybe they’ll have a little bit of fun and do a little sightseeing while they’re there in the Sunshine State as well.
County taxpayers are footing the bill for the transportation, meals, hotel rooms and the $720 admission tickets, but don’t worry because Guilford County commissioners who attend these trips each summer always assure citizens when they get back that they learned a great deal – and that it is very beneficial to county residents to have well-informed and well-trained commissioners.
In Tampa, the Guilford County commissioners will, among other learning experiences hear from other county officials across the country regarding the best practices that are working in those counties.
Guilford County Manager Mike Halford is expected to be attending as well, and Guilford County is receiving some national awards at the event for programs that are working well in Guilford County.
Every July, the National Association of Counties (NACo) holds its Annual Conference, which the organization describes as, “the premier gathering of leaders from the nation’s 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs.”
Conference content this year includes things such as discussions as to how federal policies affect counties, workshops where counties across the country show off their best practices for other counties to emulate, as well as large collective meetings at which NACo policies and practices are shaped.
Guilford County gets a vote in those matters, as other counties do.
The conventions do present some valuable information to county leaders, but the truth is that, like many things in life, the attending county officials get out of it what they put into it. There is no requirement to attend any seminar or learning experience.
Guilford County commissioners, year after year, have said upon returning that they take these trips very seriously and that in no way are they “junkets,” – that is, “an extravagant trip or celebration, in particular one enjoyed by a government official at public expense.”
The 2024 conference runs from Thursday, July 11 to Monday, July 15.
The first full day of the conference will be Friday, June 12 and it will include a morning orientation for first-time attendees and policy steering committee meetings during some of the day. There will also be a welcome reception (read: very nice party) in the exhibit hall in the evening.
NACo affiliates, affinity groups and state associations also plan to host other meetings and receptions in the evenings.
Sunday afternoon, the conference attendees get to choose between three educational summits or some mobile tours offered by the host county, which is Hillsborough County, Florida this year.
The closing party will take place on the final evening at the Florida Aquarium.
The affiliate hotels for the event are the Tampa Marriott Waterstreet ($185 a night), the JW Marriott ($199) and the Embassy Suites Tampa Downtown ($210), among others.
One interactive training session will be led by Hagerty Consulting, a NACo Corporate Premier Partner that helps communities prepare for and recover from disasters. This session will teach county leaders what actions they should take before, during and after disasters to protect their residents and property.
Some events are meant for largely rural counties where attendees gain insight into the particular challenges and opportunities facing rural America.
There will also be learning events on subjects such as creating affordable housing, community revitalization, using technology for the public good, effective transportation initiatives, fighting cyber-attacks, immigration reform, best practices in land use, how to handle the media in times of crisis, workforce development and fostering civility in public discourse.
Saturday kicks off with a bike ride through various scenic areas of Tampa Bay and a Riverfront stroll. That will be followed by a “networking breakfast.”
One weekend meeting will be of the National Association of County LGBT Leaders & Allies (NACLGBTLA).
It wouldn’t be a 2024 training event without providing information on Artificial Intelligence, and, at the NACo conference, there is this offering: “Generative AI is poised to transform the way businesses and governments operate. Join this workshop for an exploratory conversation on how best practices are emerging for utilizing generative AI for county governance functions and services. Explore the benefits and risks of introducing this novel technology in your community.”
But all the learning the commissioners will be doing down in sunny Florida won’t be done in a meeting hall or a stuffy conference room.
One outdoor event will be the “Mobile Workshop: Apollo Beach Preserve Tour.”
“This is offered on a first-come, first-served basis,” the description reads. “ It is primarily outdoors in full sun and walking on sand. Please dress accordingly.
“The 63-acre Apollo Beach Nature Preservation on the eastern shore of Tampa Bay includes creeks, beach dunes and upland islands. Recreational amenities include nature trails, picnic pavilions, beach access and an ADA-accessible observation tower that “provides panoramic views of Tampa Bay, downtown St. Petersburg, downtown Tampa, and Florida’s amazing sunsets.”
This will help the county officials who go on the tour learn about environmental protection.
Another Mobile Workshop takes attendees to the Hillsborough County Veterans Memorial Park and Museum.
The final night’s festivities are described as follows, “We invite you to celebrate your conference experience, network with your peers and enjoy an evening at the amazing Florida Aquarium before heading home. Attendees will also have an opportunity to visit the adjacent American Victory Ship, one of only four operational World War II ships in the country.”
Well, well, well… It’s that time of year again. If county staff were attending, they’d be expected to have double occupancy rooms, share a van & submit any expenses in triplicate by nightfall. When they sign up for training at the NC School of Government, they’re expected to drive to the office & attend sessions via Zoom. As long as these chuckleheads are following their own advice, go for it! But, we all know this is no more than a paid wine & dine outing with a trip to the Tampa Zoo for good measure. Maybe they’ll keep these animals & give the citizens of Guilford County a break.
So all the parasites and pigs are having a great time, on our dime.
Well, that’s nice, isn’t it?
But don’t fret – because they “learned a lot”.
If I learn a lot in New Orleans (for example, as the next junket might be), can I get the Guilford County taxpayers to pay for it?
The self-serving greed of these people is disgusting.
Trick or Treat…in July, with your increased taxed dollars you so gladly paid!
Yeah boy, we the taxpayers are footing a vacation with a small amount of getting training. What I don’t understand is why not do several zoom calls instead of trying to justify this crap. One would think our city leaders should already have the knowledge to run our cities business.
I spent 40 years of my life doing these conferences and trade show for city, state, fed govt, LE and mil
They are a way for these people to get out of town, and “cut loose”
Look who pays for it on this one
https://www.naco.org/page/corporate-programs,
all of them, are just about the money, the booze, the contacts and the “after hours fun”
You are going, aren’t you? I’ll throw in some travel expenses if needed.
I am considering it. I did follow them to the NACO convention in Hawaii.
Please tell me why it takes 7 individuals at the taxpayers expense to do what one could do and report back to others? Guess they just got to keep spending Guilford County Taxpayer’s money away from home the same way they do at home? These so called leaders simply act and spend like a bunch of drunken sailors! Alert to the IRS! These people should be sent a 1099 as this is nothing but a perk for them at our expense!
Is anybody going to be organizing a Welcome Home mob of taxpaying peons…I mean comrades…I mean citizens for when the Lords and Ladies return?
Anybody who believes this taxpayer funded vacation for a crowd that looks down on the rest us will benefit county citizens was good use of OUR money, I have some good land for you in the middle of the Ft. Bragg artillery impact areas real cheap.
Well s*#! Now I know where PART of the money these idiots piss in the wind goes I wish I could spend some time down there.. by the way WHEN are they going to ramp up building all those schools we just had to have? Are they waiting for costs to go sky high so their buddies make more money with a little kickback or 2?
The weather is Tampa bay is delightful, especially in the Summer. Perhaps the wind will blow them out to sea?
I am not concerned. I know that they know, what’s the best for me.
Why not just attend virtually like they forced every child to do not long ago? Junkets and waste……what a joke. Our tax dollars at work……actually our tax dollars on vacation. Grifters will grift however they can.
Property taxes in Guilford County and other such lefty NC counties are a way to redistribute wealth. Think about it. Who pays property taxes? Not all property owners. Churches, retirement communities, renters, all State of NC owned property in Guilford County, nonprofits, Guilford County government, City of Greensboro, and the federal government. One may argue that renters pay indirectly but that is an argument for another day. Property owners are paying the property tax that the forementioned do not. Property taxpayers are subsidizing the forementioned properties. The State of NC is probably the largest property owner in Guilford County. But the state removed 1.000 acres from the Town of Summerfield, denying them property taxes while reducing taxes for David Couch. Do as I say not as I do. Who owns property that is taxed? It is this group, you and me, that is being taxed to pay reparations and to support the government sanctioned parasites who don’t. Why are the state of NC, Guilford County, the City of Greensboro, and the federal government exempt from property taxes? This exemption results in poor decisions by these governments.
I seriously doubt that the aged commissioners will be walking around, enjoying the sites in Tampa. It is hot as Hades in Tampa in July. They will be holed up in the bar in the hotel.
It’s better to listen to your constituents than to hob knob with others at the expense of county taxpayers. But. . .that’s what liberals do since they believe it is their calling in life.
Will they be volunteering in soup kitchens? One wonders.