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Covington County commission authorizes counsel to draft limited home‑rule proposal tied to House Bill 61
Summary
Commissioners asked county legal counsel Erin Arrington to draft a narrowly tailored home‑rule proposal to seek legislative approval under House Bill 61, aiming to give the county limited authority on certain local health, safety and environmental issues; the commission voted to authorize the draft and next steps will be outreach to the legislative delegation.
Covington County commissioners on Jan. 27 voted to authorize county legal counsel Erin Arrington to draft a limited home‑rule proposal that would be submitted to the county’s legislative delegation and, if passed by the legislature, put before voters.
Arrington told commissioners that many of the suggestions brought to the county fall outside existing local authority and that home rule would be a route to gain limited, local decision‑making power. "If your legislative delegation supports home rule in Covington County, then let's give them a proposal and see if we can get it," she said, adding that any measure that cleared Montgomery would ultimately come back to county voters for final approval.
Commissioners discussed narrowing the scope of any proposal to specific issues raised recently—health and safety, environmental concerns and other narrowly defined subjects—and asked Arrington to prepare draft language reflecting that narrower focus. One commissioner said the goal was not broad authority but targeted powers that would allow the county to respond to recurring local problems without waiting on the state.
The motion to authorize counsel to prepare a draft passed on a voice vote. The next steps, as described by counsel, are drafting the proposal, coordinating with the county’s legislative delegation and pursuing the statutory route under House Bill 61; if the legislature approves, the proposal would proceed to a public vote in Covington County.
Arrington emphasized the process is multi‑step: the county must first have legislative champions in Montgomery and then obtain voter approval locally if the legislature sends home‑rule authorization back to the county.
