Poughkeepsie . . . Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus participated in the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference held in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.  The conference is an opportunity for NACo members to discuss legislative issues and programs important to counties and communities, meet with members of Congress, attend professional development and educational workshops, and hear from nationally prominent political leaders and commentators.

The primary purpose of the Legislative Conference is for county officials, including County Executive Steinhaus, who represents the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) on the NACo Board of Directors, to review and make recommendations on issues and legislation important to counties and residents of their communities. 

“Many of the issues we have prioritized in Dutchess County are also issues facing counties across the nation,” said County Executive Steinhaus.  “The goal of the NACo Legislative Conference is to make sure the issues and concerns facing county governments are heard by our elected officials in Washington, DC.”

As a NACo Board member, County Executive Steinhaus participated in the adoption of more than 30 policy positions, recommended by the association’s steering committees.  Some of those policy positions include:

• Federal Economic Stimulus Efforts   - supporting legislation that would provide federal resources to address the issue of home foreclosures. 
• Affordable Housing & National Housing Trust Fund – supporting legislation that would create a “National Affordable Housing Trust Fund” to provide needed resources for the production and preservation of affordable housing opportunities.
• National Clean Water Trust Fund – urging Congress to establish a National Clean Water Trust Fund providing $10 billion annually for matching grants and other assistance to advance the achievement of national clean water goals at the local, statewide and national levels.
• Workforce Development Programs – urging Congress to restore the Workforce Investment Act and include level funding to help displaced workers.  

County Executive Steinhaus and other NACo members also had the opportunity to hear from representatives of 2008 Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama for the candidates’ views on the relationship between county and federal government as well as  issues important to counties such as highway infrastructure, homeland security and more.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) is a national organization that represents county governments in the United States. NACo advances issues with a unified voice before the federal government, improves the public's understanding of county government, assists counties in finding and sharing innovative solutions through education and research, and provides value-added services to save counties and taxpayers money.