Commissioners Return from National Conference

Umatilla County Commissioners Bill Elfering and Larry Givens recently returned from the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2014 Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference held in Anchorage Borough, Alaska last week.

The conference, held May 21-23, brought together hundreds of Western officials and major stakeholders in decisions being made at the federal level.

With legislative and regulatory issues being debated in the nation’s capital, county leaders discussed and addressed issues important to the local communities, including re-authorizing MAP-21, the cornerstone surface transportation bill; and securing long-term funding solutions for counties covering several issues.

“We had the opportunity to network with county officials from throughout the country on issues involving primarily western states,” Elfering said. “We benefit from the experience of others, while making sure Umatilla County’s voice is hear on key federal policies that affect us every day.”

The conference included workshops for county leaders to delve into topics such as managing wild horses and burros, innovations in rural economic development and reforming county public systems.

It also provided opportunities for NACo policy committees to discuss managing land and natural resources, promoting rural development, expanding broadband access and preparing for the upcoming wildfire season.

For more information about the WIR, visit the National Association of Counties website.