Newly-elected mayors, other city leaders get training in Montgomery
Incoming mayors, city council members and other city officials are receiving training in Montgomery from the Alabama League of Municipalities.
These newly-elected leaders won elections earlier this year and are preparing to take office.
But some of the attendees are veteran elected officials.
There were nearly 500 in all for sessions that will last a day and-a-half. They learned about ALM’s mission, services and programs as well as legal, finance and ethics training from league staff and the Alabama Ethics Commission.
The Alabama Legislature passed a law last year that requires this training. Whether someone is taking office for the first time or is already in office, there is a requirement to get education.
“They’re going to learn everything from things about open meetings to budgeting to you name it, especially the legal aspect, you know things they can and can’t do as an elected official,” Sherry Sullivan, who is the president of ALM and also the mayor of Fairhope, told Action 8 News.
Alabama is one of only two states in the country with this requirement.
ALM has created a partnership with the Alabama Community College System so officials can go online to get additional training on a list of topics.
These orientations also serve as an opportunity to introduce elected officials to new laws and regulations, current municipal issues, contacts and resources for solving day-to-day problems and provide an opportunity to discuss municipal problems with fellow officials.
