Annual Report - County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania

Resolutions CommitteeOne of the most importantfunctions the CCAPmembership performs atthe Annual Conference isdevelopment of our PennsylvaniaCounty Platform, accomplishedthrough sponsorship, deliberation andapproval of the resolutions that compriseits planks. The Resolutions Committeeserves as the conduit and filter to bringthem before the full membership as wework toward this policy consensus. ThePlatform then becomes our comprehensiveguide to county objectives as we appearand advocate before the General Assembly,the administration and Congress.The procedure is a simple one but, by itsinclusiveness, assures that the positionswe take truly represent our members’wishes. The Resolutions Committee receivesproposed resolutions from membersand from CCAP committees, comparesthem for consistency with the CCAPmission, and prepares them for considerationby the delegates to the AnnualConference. We seek timely submissionso that we can receive the commentary ofour policy committees, we send them outto the membership well in advance of theconference, and we provide a breakoutsession at the conference to review theproposals received, to give the delegatesthe opportunity to comment, and toprovide one last opportunity to deal withnew issues that may have surfaced. Whilethe Resolutions Committee will attach arecommendation to each resolution basedon our review and our policy committees’review, the only resolutions that we do notforward to the delegates for final actionare those that are either not germane to theAssociation mission or are already elementsof the Platform.But the process does not end with theresolutions’ adoption. Each of the planksin our Platform requires ongoing committee,Board, member and staff work toachieve enactment, and a platform thatincludes several hundred planks necessarilyrequires prioritization. Our process setsaside the Sunday policy committee meetingblock at the Fall Conference for theCCAP Board, the Resolutions Committee,and each of our policy committees todevelop policy work plans for the comingyear and then to meet as a committee-ofthe-wholeto finalize the County GovernmentPriority Statement, comprising thecollection of top issues the Associationintends to pursue for the coming year.This effort gives our volunteer committeesand our legislative staff exceptionalfocus, as they take the county message toHarrisburg, Washington, the media, andthe public.As Resolutions Committee chair, I also siton the CCAP Board, which has the overallresponsibility for coordinating our policyefforts and priorities among our policycommittees, staff, and membership. Withseven policy committees and several taskDonna GorityChairBlair Countyforces, this coordination role assures thatour message is consistent and that ourresources – and political capital – are usedwisely.For the 2011 Annual Conference, the proposedresolutions were duly sought, vettedwith the policy committees, considered bythe Resolutions Committee, and submittedto the membership in advance to enablepreparation for the conference businessmeeting. The committee is also responsiblefor reviewing and making recommendationson bylaws changes coming fromthe CCAP Board of Directors; no bylawschanges are proposed for 2011.Let me conclude by noting that this is myfinal year of service as a county commissioner.I have truly enjoyed all of myfriendships, all of the opportunities I havehad to participate in statewide policy andadministrative activities, and all of theprogress we have made, and successes wehave achieved, over the years on behalf ofour constituents.Donna Gority, Commissioner, BlairCounty, ChairDavid Cyphert, Commissioner, ClarionCountyJoseph Kantz, Commissioner, SnyderCountyMark Smith, Commissioner, BradfordCountyJohn Stoffa, County Executive,Northampton CountyMorris Waid, Commissioner, CrawfordCountyNON VOTING, EX OFFICIOMark Hamilton, Commissioner, TiogaCounty and CCAP PresidentJo Ellen Litz, Commissioner, LebanonCounty and CCAP First VicePresidentChristian Leinbach, Commissioner,Berks County and CCAPSecond Vice PresidentDonna Hartle, Commissioner, ClarionCounty and CCAP TreasurerJoe Giles, Council Member, ErieCounty and CCAP BoardChairSTAFF LIAISONDouglas E. Hill, Executive DirectorAnnual Report 2011 County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania29