Strengthening America's Counties

By showcasing how county governments provide vital behavioral health services and resources and by advocating for key mental health reforms—including repealing harmful exclusionary Medicaid policies, bolstering local crisis response infrastructure, supporting the behavioral health workforce, and ensuring mental health parity—we can effect significant change.

Building off NACo’s First 100 Days webinar series, we are starting a biweekly series to provide timely updates and analysis on key developments from the White House and Congress. Each session focuses on policies and actions that directly impact counties — from federal funding and regulatory changes to intergovernmental partnerships. Tune in every other week to stay informed on how these evolving federal dynamics may shape county priorities, responsibilities and operations.

The President’s budget requests cutting non-defense discretionary funding by 23 percent, amounting to $163 billion, and proposes a 7.6 percent spending cut to discretionary spending.

NACo policy positions are debated and voted on by ten policy steering committees comprising more than 1,400 county officials, along with the NACo Board of Directors and full membership. NACo supports federal policies and programs that equip county governments with the resources and flexibility needed to serve our residents effectively.

The House and Senate Budget Committees have marked up Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget resolutions to initiate the budget reconciliation process to enact policy priorities without garnering bipartisan support, although the two chambers differ in their approach to drafting the legislation. 

NACo, NLC, NCSL, USCM, CSG and ICMA emphasize the impact of policy changes to eligibility requirements and financing of Medicaid.

Commissioner Melody Villard and Economic Recovery Corps Fellow Sasha Nelson discuss the transition Moffat County, Colo. planned to diversify its economy after the closure of coal mines and a power plant decimated its property tax revenue.

Greenbrier County, W.Va. Commissioner Tammy Tincher, Cook County, Ill. CIO Tom Lynch and NACo CIO Rita Reynolds discuss the pilot CIO Reserves program, which offers IT experts to help rural counties assess their technology and cybersecurity needs.

Shinica Thomas, a Wake County, N.C. commissioner and a member of NACo's AI Exploratory Committee, talks about her process for learning about artificial intelligence, its limits and challenges and some applications for use in county government.

Johnson County, Texas Commissioner Rick Bailey spent 35 years in the trucking industry prior to running for office, and he offers two perspectives to the County News Podcast on the issue backed by his experience, but there’s no reason to save the surprise — he doesn’t approve of proposals to increase the weight limit on trucks. 

Allegheny County, Pa. Director of Housing Strategies Ed Nusser introduces the 500 in 500 initiative for moving people out of shelters and NACo’s Mike Matthews discusses the county role in developing housing affordability.

Clay County, Iowa Supervisor Barry Anderson joins the County News Podcast to describe the compounding effects from a generational flood his county seat faced in June.

NACo President James Gore joins the County News Podcast to talk about what brought him to county government, the challenges Sonoma County, Calif. has faced while he has been a member of the Board of Supervisors and and how he views county government.

Miami-Dade County, Fla. Administrative Judge Steve Leifman joined the County News Podcast to outline systems that can be put in place in counties across the country.

NACo President Mary Jo McGuire spoke to the County News Podcast about National County Government Month seen through the prism of her presidential theme: ForwardTogether — connect, inspire and lead.

A handful of county officials and a federal exhibitor talked on the County News Podcast about the connections they hoped to make and what they hoped to learn during the Federal Agency Expo at the NACo Legislative Conference.

The hosts of High Turnout, Wide Margins join NACo's inaugural podcast to discuss how they manage elections in Boone and St. Louis counties in Missouri, what elected officials should know about election administration and more.