[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 5979]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT MONTH

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the contributions made 
each day by our Nation's 3,068 county governments and the men and women 
who serve in county government. They are tireless public servants whose 
daily efforts to ensure that local government works for all Americans 
are honored during National County Government Month, which takes place 
each April.
  As a former county executive for New Castle County, DE, I know that 
county governments are responsible for providing essential services 
important to our communities. New Castle County provides critical 
services in public safety, land use, parks and libraries, sewers, and 
economic development. Many other counties provide a broad range of 
services, such as maintaining roads, bridges, and water systems, and 
operating airports and other transit, and delivering critical health 
care services. Counties provide law enforcement, courtroom, and jail 
services, schools, and numerous social services for children, seniors 
and families, and often serve as the first lines of defense for 
emergency response and preparedness.
  Since 1991, the National Association of Counties, or NACo, has 
encouraged counties across America to highlight their programs and 
services in order to raise awareness of the important role county 
governments play in our national life. National County Government Month 
is a great opportunity to recognize this.
  The National County Government Month theme for 2011 is ``Serving Our 
Veterans, Armed Forces, and Their Families.'' NACo president Glen 
Whitley, county judge for Tarrant County, TX, is urging all counties to 
honor and to thank their residents who have served or are currently 
serving our Nation in the military. In addition, Judge Whitley is 
urging counties to showcase their many important services to America's 
veterans, military servicemembers, and their families, such as those 
relating to physical and mental health, housing, employment, and the 
justice system.
  In New Castle County, as in many counties across the country, we felt 
the impact of the call to duty on servicemembers and their families, as 
county employees many in our public safety community deployed to Iraq 
and Afghanistan with units of the Reserve and National Guard. I am 
pleased to join Judge Whitley and county officials across the country 
in honoring servicemembers and veterans and highlighting the important 
services county governments provide.
  National County Government Month also provides the Senate with an 
opportunity to acknowledge that county governments with the help of the 
National Association of Counties are working together to restore the 
partnership among all levels of government to serve communities across 
America better. We in the Senate share our constituents with county 
government officials and face common challenges. It is incumbent upon 
us to recognize the men and women who work tirelessly within local 
governments and provide essential services directly to our 
constituents. They deserve our sincerest gratitude.
  I encourage all of my colleagues and all Americans to celebrate April 
as National County Government Month with their home counties and to 
recognize the important role county governments play in their 
communities and the critical services they provide.

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