Handbook for Alabama County Commissioners Eleventh Edition Click here for Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS [Clicking on headings or page numbers will skip to that page] Page Introduction .................................................................................. xiii Chapter I. The Legal Status of the Alabama County .....................1 A. Legal Nature.............................................................1 1. County Liability ...........................................4 2. Commissioners' Civil Liability ....................8 a. Judicial vs. Ministerial Acts .............8 b. Official Liability ..............................9 c. Personal Liability ...........................12 3. Commissioners' Criminal Liability ............19 4. Liability for Civil Rights Violations Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 ........................................20 a. Background ....................................21 b. Local Government Liability Under Monell .................................21 c. Liability of Commissioners............22 B. Legislative-County Relationships ..........................23 1. Restrictions on Legislation Relating to Counties .....................................................24 2. Advertising Required for Local Bills .........29 3. Modification of Procedure for General Bills of Local Application ..........................30 C. County Boundaries.................................................31 Chapter II. The Organization of Alabama County Government ................................................................33 A. The Governing Body..............................................33 1. Designation ................................................33 2. Composition ...............................................34 3. Terms of Office ..........................................36 4. Qualifications .............................................37 5. Ethics Act ...................................................37 6. Compensation ............................................42 7. Removal and Vacancies .............................45 ix Page 8. Alabama’s Open Meetings Law.................46 a. History of the Open Meetings Debate ............................................46 b. The New Open Meetings Law .......47 9. Powers ........................................................64 B. Other Officers and Agencies ..................................79 1. County Commission Chairperson ..............79 2. Probate Judge as County Commission Chairperson ................................................80 3. County Administrator ................................81 4. Courts and Judges ......................................84 5. Clerk of the Circuit Court ..........................85 6. District Attorney ........................................86 7. County Attorney.........................................87 8. Sheriff ........................................................88 a. Compensation ................................88 b. Election duties ................................89 c. Jails ................................................89 9. Constable....................................................90 10. Coroner ......................................................91 11. Tax Assessor ..............................................91 12. Board of Equalization ................................94 13. Tax Collector .............................................95 14. Revenue Commissioner .............................97 15. License Commissioner ...............................99 16. Supernumerary Tax Collectors, Tax Assessors, License Commissioners, and Revenue Commissioners ..........................102 17. Treasurer or Depository ...........................103 18. License Inspector .....................................105 19. Board of Registrars ..................................106 a. Meetings .......................................106 b. Voters' List ...................................107 20. Department of Human Resources ............108 21. Library Board ...........................................110 22. Extension Agent .......................................111 23. Board of Education ..................................111 x Page 24. Superintendent of Education ....................112 25. Board of Health ........................................113 26. County Law Libraries ..............................115 27. County Emergency Management Agency .....................................................115 28. Emergency Telephone Service ................116 29. Department of Homeland Security ..........117 Chapter III. Highway Administration ........................................119 A. Administration of the Highway Function ............119 1. District System .........................................119 2. Unit System ..............................................120 B. County Engineers .................................................121 C. Highway Funds ....................................................122 1. Background ..............................................122 2. Earmarking of Particular Revenues .........123 3. Motor Vehicle Registration Receipts .......123 4. Drivers' Licenses and Vehicle Registration Reinstatement ......................124 5. Gasoline Tax ............................................125 a. Gasoline Excise Taxes .................126 b. Lubricating Oil Excise Tax ..........126 c. Petroleum Inspection Fees ...........126 d. Motor Vehicle License Taxes and Registration Fees ...................127 e. Miscellaneous State Revenue Sources .........................................127 D. Federal Sources ....................................................128 Chapter IV. Financial Administration .......................................133 A. Revenue Sources ..................................................133 1. The General Property Tax ........................133 a. Assessed Valuations and Rates of Taxation ...................................133 b. General Exemptions .....................135 c. Homestead Exemption .................138 d. Allocation of Revenues ................143 xi Page e. The Lid Bill ..................................145 f. Current Use Law ..........................147 g. The Assessment Process ..............149 h. The Collection Process ................150 2. Other Local Tax Sources .........................151 a. Sales and Use Taxes.....................151 b. License Taxes...............................153 c. Local Acts ....................................154 3. Intergovernmental Sources ......................154 a. State Sources ................................155 b. Federal Sources ............................166 B. Establishing the County Budgets .........................170 1. Issuance of Warrants ................................172 C. Disbursement of County Funds ...........................172 1. Claims and Preference of Claims .............172 2. Warrants (Checks) ...................................174 3. Unexpended Funds...................................174 4. Purchases and the Competitive Bid Law ..........................................................175 a. Exemptions/Exclusions ................175 b. Advertising ...................................180 c. Bidders Requirements ..................181 d. Award of Contract........................181 e. Public Inspection ..........................182 f. Contract Requirements.................182 g. Prohibitions/Violations ................183 h. Contracts Violating Competitive Bid Law ........................................183 i. Governmental Leasing .................184 5. Public Works Contracts ...........................184 a. Exemptions/Exclusions ................185 b. Bidding Options ...........................188 c. Awarding Authority Options .......189 d. Payment Options ..........................190 e. Accounting ...................................191 f. Financial Reporting ......................192 g. County Indebtedness ....................193 xii Page h. State Administrative Supervision ..................................199 Chapter V. Elections ..................................................................201 A. Office of County Commission .............................201 B. Poll Workers and Election Expenses ...................201 C. State Reimbursement ...........................................203 D. Precincts ...............................................................204 1. Precinct Boundaries .................................205 a. When Precinct Boundaries Change ...205 b. When Precinct Boundaries Do Not Change ..............................................206 c. How Precinct Boundaries Change .........................................207 d. Preclearance .................................207 E. Selecting Polling Places .......................................208 F. Assigning Ballot Boxes and Voting Machines ....208 G. Voting Districts ....................................................209 H. Voting Centers .....................................................210 I. Voting Equipment ................................................210 J. Voter Registration Functions ...............................213 1. Support for the Board of Registrars .........213 2. Support for the Probate Judge ..................214 3. Voting Hours ............................................214 4. Absentee Elections ...................................214 Chapter VI. Other Functions ......................................................217 A. Cooperative Extension System ............................217 B. Planning, Zoning, and Eminent Domain..............218