What is the Alabama League of Municipalities?

The League is a nonpartisan membership association of more than 440 cities and
towns in Alabama.

Purpose

For more than 75 years, the League has repeatedly demonstrated that the unified voices and collective actions of dedicated municipal officials are a compelling force in articulating the concerns, solving the problems and achieving the goals of its member municipalities. To that end, the League:

  • Conducts continuing studies of the legislative, administrative and operational needs, problems and functions of Alabama’s municipal governments.
  • Holds conferences and meetings at which views and experiences of local government officials and personnel may be exchanged.
  • Offers specialized training for municipal officials and personnel.
  • Provides member services that strengthen and support excellence in
    municipal government.
  • Works to enact state and federal legislation to enable all cities and towns to perform their functions more efficiently and effectively.
  • Engages members, staff and stakeholders in representing municipal issues
    and interests.
  • Encourages in the people of Alabama an understanding and appreciation of the duties, responsibilities and rights of both municipal government and the citizen.

Organization of the League

        The League consists of the president, vice president and the executive committee, which is composed of five elected municipal officials from each of the state’s seven congressional districts, the active past presidents and the executive director. League officers and members of the executive committee are elected by the voting delegates at the annual convention.
        In addition, six standing committees are charged with the review and development of League policies and goals which encompass a broad spectrum of issues affecting municipal government. The chair and vice chair of each of these standing committees are also elected annually at the convention. Committee members are selected by the respective committee chairs to provide representation from each congressional district and to ensure representation of cities and towns of all sizes on each committee.
        Besides developing policies and goals for the Alabama League, the standing committees are responsible for reviewing national municipal policy developed by the National League of Cities. Committee members, through our League representatives on NLC committees, may suggest amendments to the national policy during the annual Congress of Cities.

Standing Committees

The League’s six standing committees are:
  • State and Federal Legislation, which also serves as a resolutions and
    screening committee
  • Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations
  • Energy, Environment and Natural Resources
  • Community and Economic Development
  • Transportation, Public Safety and Communication
  • Human Development
        These committees meet annually with resource advisors to review existing League policy and the national policy and to adopt revised goals and recommendations in the respective areas of each committee. The Committee on State and Federal Legislation meets before each Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature to consider the recommendations of the standing committees and to develop the League's legislative program. This committee also carefully studies proposed legislation which may prove harmful to municipal government. While the legislature is in session, the committee may meet to assess the progress of the League program and to review potentially dangerous legislation. The committee has the additional duty of meeting at the annual League convention to review resolutions prepared for submission at the annual business session and to receive suggested resolutions from individual delegates.

 

Participation in NLC

        Since 1935, the Alabama League has been a member of the National League of Cities (NLC), our national counterpart. Members of our League are thereby entitled to participate in the annual Congress of Cities where national municipal policy is formed and educational programs are conducted. Our members may become direct members of NLC if additional benefits and assistance are desired from the national organization. Throughout the years, Alabama municipal officials have been extremely active in NLC.

Individual Services to Members

        Individual service to member municipalities, on a day-to-day basis, is one of the most important functions of the League. These services include:

  • research to help local officials make decisions in the performance of their
    many duties
  • legal opinions from the League’s Legal Department
  • publication The Alabama Municipal Journal as well as weekly legislative bulletins when the legislature is in session
  • publication of booklets and information bulletins to better enable officials and personnel to perform their duties
  • specialized conferences, workshops and training for municipal officials
    and personnel
  • an extensive website information about the League, featuring news and resources on many topics and a plethora of additional information related to local government in Alabama.

        The League has brought legal actions on behalf of its member municipalities and has filed briefs in many other cases affecting our cities and towns. League staff and officers frequently appear before state agencies and legislative committees to testify on rules, regulations and proposed legislation affecting our members.
        The League has also established a number of special programs for member municipalities. Some of these programs are operated directly by the League while others are privately held companies whose products or services are endorsed by the League. Any League member city, town or instrumentality of the League member may contract for any or all of these services at very competitive rates.

League-Operated Programs

• Municipal Revenue Service – This League program, which has been available to League members for many decades, collects delinquent municipal insurance license taxes and has recovered a tremendous amount of lost municipal revenue over the years.

• Municipal Workers Compensation Fund (MWCF) was established in Established in 1976 and is the second oldest League insurance pool in the nation. With more than 625 participating municipal entities – 78% of the Alabama League’s membership – MWCF provides a direct means for municipalities and their boards to save on workers compensation coverage. MWCF offers a variety of Loss Control and Risk Management Services including loss control representatives; on-site risk management with follow-up reports and recommendations; specialized law enforcement risk control; loss analysis and trending; an employment practices hotline; proactive driver training; a firearms training system; DVD library; and loss control/safety seminars.

• Alabama Municipal Insurance Corporation (AMIC) is a mutual insurance company incorporated in 1989 to provide liability and property coverage under the laws of the State of Alabama. Owned by its participating member municipalities, AMIC writes all lines of automobile insurance, commercial general liability, police professional liability, public officials errors and omissions coverage, bonds, property, inland marine, etc and provides 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, 1-866 convenience for member claims. Coverage is available to Alabama’s municipalities as well as other incorporated municipal entities such as utility boards, industrial development boards and housing authorities.

• Alabama Municipal Finding Corporation (AMFund) was developed by the Alabama League of Municipalities in 2006 to provide low cost financing to Alabama’s cities and towns through public improvement bonds. For some municipalities, AMFund’s competitive interest rates and issuance costs are exactly what is needed to undertake a new project, refinance existing debt or acquire new equipment.  In addition, municipalities that may have been turned down for a loan because the requested amount was too small will welcome the freedom AMFund allows to improve the quality of life for its citizens. 

The Legislative Function

        In every session of the Alabama Legislature since 1935, the League has served as the guardian and the voice of municipal interests. Through the years, League legislative programs have produced more than 400 general acts which directly benefit municipal government and its citizens. Cities and towns in Alabama now receive many millions of dollars each year in state-shared revenues as a direct result of the League's legislative efforts. In addition to working for passage of League legislative proposals, the League staff continually monitors and reports on all types of legislation, at both the state and federal levels, which may affect cities and towns.

Training Programs

        In 1994, the League established the Elected Officials Training Program for elected municipal officials. This voluntary program was the second in the nation and provides elected officials an opportunity to receive continuing education training. Upon obtaining 40 credit hours of training, the elected official will be presented with the designation of Certified Municipal Official (CMO). Several years later, due to the program's popularity, an Advanced CMO Program was established. In addition, the League offers a variety of loss control and safety training through its
insurance programs.
         Over the past years, the League has worked closely with the University of Alabama, Auburn University, Jacksonville State University, the University of North Alabama and other educational institutions and groups to sponsor training programs for municipal officials and employees. In 1987, the League, in cooperation with the College of Continuing Education at The University of Alabama, established the John G. Burton Endowment for the Support of Municipal Programs. The fund honors the League's first president and the "Father of Municipal Education in Alabama." This perpetual fund, to which municipalities, individuals and corporations may contribute,
is used to increase training programs and opportunities for municipal officials
and employees.

Publications and Communications

        The League publishes The Alabama Municipal Journal, a monthly magazine prepared by the staff which annually provides more than 400 pages of timely information on the operation of city and town governments. The Alabama Municipal Journal is mailed to all elected officials and to top administrative and legal personnel of member cities and towns. Members of the Legislature also receive the magazine as well as the Alabama Congressional Delegation, sister leagues throughout the country, subscribers and stakeholders. The total circulation of The Alabama Municipal Journal is approximately 4,500.
         The League's Bulletin on State Legislation is electronically transmitted or mailed weekly to each member municipality when the Legislature is in session. In addition to these regular publications, the League staff prepares numerous books, information bulletins and special reports on specific subjects of interest to municipal officials. The League also offers several computer programs for purchase to its members such as MunicipaLaw on Disc (offers an easy method of searching for court decisions and opinions of the attorney general that are of interest to municipalities) and ALM Library (contains the searchable text of many League publications).