Alachua County Commissioners Mary Alford, Chuck Chestnut and Ken Cornell will hold positions on six separate committees for the Florida Association of Counties (FAC). 

Appointed by FAC president Bill Truex, the commissioners will join peers from across Florida to propose, debate and adopt policies that better the state’s counties.  

Alford will join the Health, Safety and Justice Policy Committee. Chestnut and Cornell will join the FAC Presidential Select Committee on Preemption. Cornell will also join the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Policy Committee, the Federal Policy Committee, the Finance, Tax, & Administration Policy Committee and the Water & Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee 

“I am honored to serve both Alachua County and counties across our state,” Alford said in a press release. “The interactions with other Commissioners and FAC staff stimulate new ideas and solutions to some very challenging statewide issues.”   

The FAC policy goals that form out of these committees will help shape lobbying during the next Legislative session.  

“It is critical for counties to stay aware and engaged with the happenings in Tallahassee next session,” Chestnut said in the release. 

In the release, Cornell said he looked forward to working on policies that move the relationship between the state and its counties in a positive direction.  

Last week, Gainesville Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut was appointed to a committee for the National League of Cities. She will work on national policies concerning housing and land use with mayors from St. Louis, Missouri; Riverside, California; and Beaverton, Oregon.