Summary of Sept. 10th NACA Virtual Idea Exchange

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Written By Paula Freeze

The National Association of County Administrators (NACA) hosted its latest virtual Idea Exchange on September 10, 2025, bringing together county leaders from across the country for candid peer discussions on urgent funding and operational challenges facing local governments.

Participants raised concerns about the expiration of temporary federal funding streams (like ARPA and CARES Act) and the strain this puts on county and local service providers’ finances. There are varying degrees of local support that counties have been receiving. Surprisingly, come counties are receiving funding requests from nonprofits and philanthropic organizations as grants diminish. 

A recurring question was: what happens when federal support like SNAP or Medicaid diminish or vanish, especially for key populations? While some states operate with different funding structures, all counties expressed concern about potential rapid cost shifts to local budgets with little warning or input. To compound the potential financial burden on counties, several administrators spoke about the ongoing movements in their states to eliminate property taxes.

Several counties shared some practical solutions for public communication and transparency, spotlighting tools such as:

  • Midland County, MI's Popular Annual Financial Report & Budget Snapshot were provided.

  • Budget snapshots by Craven County, NC. 

Attendees reinforced the importance of clear, digestible data for elected officials and public understanding.

The session closed with calls for sharing strategies on navigating intergovernmental complexities, and the use of concrete tools and visuals to better inform both boards and communities.

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