Legislative Liaison and Information

Handbook For Arkansas Municipal Officials Of La. 7/11/2017 0 Comments Diversity Caucuses. The League is committed to promoting involvement for all city officials, in. Issued by Arkansas Municipal League This manual was compiled to provide professionals with a practical reference tool of Constitutional and statutory provisions governing the operation of cities and towns in Arkansas. EBooks, CDs, downloadable content, and software purchases are non-cancellable, nonrefundable and nonreturnable. City of Hot Springs 133 Convention Boulevard Hot Springs National Park, AR 71901 Phone: 501-321-6808 City Hotlines.

Charged with the responsibility to act as spokesman for Arkansas' cities and towns during the Legislative Sessions, the League, in accordance with the Legislative Policy set forth in the Policy Statement, assists in developing legislation of interest to all municipal governments and in following other legislation that affects cities and towns.

An important activity during the Legislative Session is providing information to municipal officials regarding pending legislation through special reports and publication of a Legislative Bulletin, designed to keep local officials informed on a regular basis of events taking place in the Legislature. Please visit ourLegislative Action Centerto access the League's Legislative Bulletin.

Annual Convention

Each year the League sponsors a Convention for elected and appointed municipal officials from across the state. The Convention is designed to provide these officials with the opportunity to discuss problems of common interest and to learn of new developments and techniques in local government and public administration.

An important part of the Convention is the Annual Business Meeting at which time the new officers are elected. The Municipal Policy Statement is also developed and adopted by local officials at the Annual Business Meeting. Each city or town is entitled to vote at the Business Meeting, making the Policy Statement broadly reflective of the needs and desires of communities throughout the state.

Publications

A significant portion of the League's overall program is devoted to the development of publications in all areas of local government concern. Special reports or magazine articles are written when a substantial number of questions have been received on subjects which are of special concern to municipal officials. Generally, if the problem is a recurring one, a manual dealing with the subject in detail is prepared. Annual publications of the League include a Directory of Arkansas Municipal Officials, the Salary Survey, as well as updating of publications dealing with rapidly changing subjects. The Handbook for Arkansas Municipal Officials is widely used by municipal officials and in demand by many other sources. The Fiscal Management Records is a system which was devised by the League to assist smaller municipalities with their record keeping responsibilities. It is being used by many towns and cities to meet the requirements of the Fiscal Management Act of 1973.

The League publishes a magazine called City & Town which is designed to provide a forum for municipal officials to exchange ideas and compare notes on accomplishments and problems in Arkansas cities and towns. This magazine has a distribution of 7,000 copies. In addition to the elected officials, city administrators and managers, the magazine is sent to police chiefs, fire chiefs and other department heads. Also included on the mailing list are state officials, local newspapers, chambers of commerce and other offices and persons who are interested in municipal affairs.

Contact

Handbook For Arkansas Municipal Officials Commission

Wayne Miller
Professor
Phone: 501-671-2085
Email:wmiller@uaex.edu

Ellie Wheeler
Program Associate
Phone: 501-671-2241
Email:ewheeler@uaex.edu

Residential services provided by local governments are under constant pressure from a changing population and economy. Our Local Government program provides community members and local officials with resources to plan the provision of infrastructure and services in the changing economic climate of the state.

COVID-19 Coronavirus

Local governments are on the front line in responding to and helping control the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. They are also asked to assist local businesses to survive until the pandemic is under control. These are enormous tasks given the limited resources of local governments.

The first task is to help ensure that the pandemic is under control. This will not only save lives but will also minimize the cost to businesses and the local economy. There are many resources available to understand what needs to be done to control the pandemic. For the latest updates and information, please visit the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Coronavirus update site https://uaex.edu/covid-19/.

• Local government resources: Information to assist local leaders in Arkansas with crisis management as well as county and municipal guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the Local Government resources PDF. A refresher on how county governments function can also be found in this overview. Additionally, the Arkansas Municipal League has a helpful guide for conducting public meetings during COVID-19, including information about FOIA laws that are still in effect.
• County government revenue in Arkansas is expected to be especially hard hit by COVID-19. Read more about the anticipated impact on county government finances in our recent blog here and in this summary.
• Unemployment insurance updates: Learn about how COVID-19 is impacting Arkansas's unemployment insurance system by reading our recent blogs on the rise in unemployment insurance claims, and how unemployment insurance works in Arkansas. This info-graphic also helps to explain how unemployment insurance is being expanded in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arkansas Municipal Codes Handbook

Program Resources

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