Winter 2025 Edition
Journal of County Administration
President’s Message
Betsy Keller, 2025-2026 NACA President
“As we enter this season of gratitude, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to each of you—our county administrators and managers, assistant administrators, and all who have dedicated your careers to public service.”
Substance Use Prevention - Hidden In Plain Sight
Curry County, New Mexico's Hidden In Plain Sight trailer is an interactive experience showing parents, guardians, and educators how everyday items can be used to conceal substances and alcohol.
Rural Kansas communities address housing shortage through cooperation
Barton County, Kansas is tackling a long-standing housing shortage through efforts between local governments, private developers, and county resources to build over 40 new homes.
Job Switching Motives and Employer Attractiveness: A Comparative Analysis of Sector Switchers and Non-Sector Switchers
A study of job switchers joining public administration found that intrinsic job attributes and person-job fit are the most significant predictors of public employer attractiveness, while extrinsic factors are less influential, and public service motives had an unexpected negative effect for non-sector switchers due to a "belated reality shock".
Navigating Economic Turbulence: Property Tax Reassessment Cycles as a Strategic Financial Management Tool During Recessions
The strategic delay of property tax reassessments, particularly in the years immediately following a recession, is an effective financial management tool used by local governments to mitigate revenue declines and is associated with higher property valuation.
How Black and White firefighters view racial diversity within the Fire service
This research explores how internal leadership representation brings deep-seated tensions and differing views on equity and workplace identity in the fire service.
Advancing Social Equity in Public Budgeting: The Role of Minority Political Representation in Local Government
Higher minority political representation on county commissions is associated with a greater proportion of the budget allocated to redistributive spending, a relationship that is amplified in counties with home rule charters.
Dialogue of the Deaf: How Deliberation With Discontented Citizens May Hopelessly Fail
A case study reveals that public deliberation with discontented citizens can be counterproductive, resulting in a "dialogue of the deaf", because the parties hold fundamentally differing perceptions of what constitutes good deliberation.
AI in Public Decision‐Making: A Philosophical and Practical Framework for Assessing and Weighing Harm and Benefit
A five-step philosophical and practical framework for public administrators to govern the increasing use of AI in decision-making, which uses measures of harm and benefit along with trustworthy AI principles and procedural justice methods for resolving value conflicts.
Motivation, Meaning, and Burnout: Understanding Frontline Public Service Workers' Work Experiences During Turbulent Times
A study of police officers found that Public Service Motivation helps reduce burnout by strengthening a frontline worker's perception of their impact, suggesting that fostering a sense of positive influence is key for public organizations to mitigate burnout, particularly during crises.
These investigators patrol Las Vegas looking for one thing: water waste
To combat drought conditions and conserve their water supply, Las Vegas employs a team of water waste investigators who patrol neighborhoods daily, leaving warnings or issuing fines for violations like over-irrigation and sprinkler run-off.
911 centers are so understaffed, they’re turning to AI to answer calls
Facing severe understaffing and high turnover rates, 911 emergency call centers are increasingly adopting AI voice assistants to handle and triage high-volume non-emergency calls, allowing human dispatchers to focus on true emergencies.
Upcoming Events
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NACA Idea Exchange
February 5, 2026
Join NACA for a virtual Member Only Discussion. Topic TBD.
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NACo Legislative Conference
February 21-24, 2026
The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties.
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NACo Annual Conference
July 17-20, 2026
Orleans Parish/New Orleans, La.
Thank you 2025 Friends of NACA!
Institutional Partner: MissionSquare Retirement
Partner: NACo EDGE Public Promise Procurement (PPP) & Public Promise Insurance (PPI)
Partner: OPTERRA Energy Services
Sponsor: The Ferguson Group
Spnosor: Zencity
Sponsor: Enua Solutions
Sponsor: Partnership for Public Service
Member: Pracademic Partners
Member: Witt O'Brien's
Member: Ulliman Schutte
Member: Bronner Group, LLC