The episode starts in the heart of New Orleans at the annual NACo conference. A perfect setting for food, fun, and serious county business. Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady hosts Eryn Hurley, who’s the legislative director at the National Association of Counties (NACo). Before diving into county matters, they share muffuletta sandwiches (an iconic local staple) and Zapp’s chips, setting a friendly, down-to-earth vibe for their discussion. Meet Eryn Hurley & NACo Eryn’s basically the counties’ go-to person in Washington, D.C. She spends her days making sure the concerns and priorities of more than 3,000 counties, parishes, and boroughs get heard by Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. What Does NACo Actually Do? Eryn explains it’s all about giving counties a powerful, united voice in D.C. This means: Lobbying for county interests as laws and regulations are made and put into action.Gathering and sharing useful data (think infrastructure ratings, housing profiles, federal funding stats—you name it).Bringing together leaders from across the nation to swap best practices and work through local challenges like early childhood development, housing issues, economic mobility, behavioral health, and more. Eryn points out that NACo hosts grant-funded programs and “cohorts” where counties can learn from each other and see cool projects in action, sometimes touring places actually making a difference 06:57. All Counties Are Unique (But in It Together) A running theme: no two counties are really alike. John jokes, “if you’ve seen one county, you’ve seen one county,” but he and Eryn both believe that, beneath the surface, all counties deal with a lot of the same stuff—like affordable housing woes or different types of land use headaches 09:41. NACo’s big challenge? Staying in sync with everyone, whether they’re from a sprawling Western county or a packed Midwest urban center. Communication Is Key Eryn shares that keeping counties in the loop is a daily (and evolving) task for her team. They send updates on what’s going down in D.C., break down new bills and their local impacts, and even send out ready-to-go letters counties can send their Congress members when an important issue pops up. 14:47. How Counties Shape NACo Policy: Committees and Caucuses John brings up NACo’s famous committee system, the real workhorses behind their policies. Eryn compares them to NACo’s Super Bowl for the government affairs team 22:44. There are 10 big policy steering committees, each tackling different topics (like transportation, public safety, finance, and so on). County people, not just staffers, decide what NACo lobbies for. Whether that’s supporting, opposing, or amending legislation. Everything is membership-driven and collaborative, which is pretty unique in the association world. Caucuses (like Large Urban, Rural Action, and the new Medium-Sized County Caucus) let counties connect around similar populations, though the hardcore policy work happens in the committees. Real Bipartisanship—No, Really! Both Eryn and John joke about being “nerds” who get into the weeds of this stuff, but they seriously value how NACo’s committee process brings together people with very different perspectives, sometimes sparking heated debate. 32:43. The Big Issues Right Now Eryn highlights some hot-button topics for counties: OMB’s Uniform Guidance Rule – Big changes could be coming on how federal money is distributed and tracked for counties (over a trillion dollars’ worth). Eryn urges everyone to keep pushing Congress about this one 35:10.Reconciliation & Election Changes – Legislation around elections has counties worried, especially about unfunded mandates and last-minute changes 36:59.Surface Transportation Funding – With the highway bill about to expire, direct infrastructure dollars for counties are on the line 38:19.Federal Funding Deadlines and Appropriations – September is crunch time for government funding, and Eryn flags growing concerns about behavioral health, SNAP eligibility, and Medicaid requirements that could shift costs to the local level 39:49. Another cool thing? NACo started a role dedicated to grassroots advocacy, making it easier for counties (especially smaller ones without big government affairs offices) to connect with their Congress members using templates, easy guides, and smart resources 41:07. Exciting news for Franklin County and Columbus: they’ll host the NACo Annual Conference again in 2031! talkofthecounty@franklincountyohio.gov
