National Association of Counties (NACo)

The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, serving nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to:
- Advocate county priorities in federal policymaking
- Promote exemplary county policies and practices
- Nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks
- Optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings, and
- Enrich the public’s understanding of county government.
NACo's Mission is to strengthen America’s counties.
Its Vision ... healthy, safe and vibrant counties across America.
Learn more about NACo and access all the latest County News from NACo here
Featured Resources & Information Link (April 24, 2023)

The 2023–2024 NACo officers were sworn in at NACo's 88th Annual Conference, hosted by Travis County, Texas: Immediate Past President Denise Winfrey, President Mary Jo McGuire, 1st Vice President James Gore, and 2nd Vice President J.D. Clark.
UCCI Members - 'Make the Most of your 2023 NACo Membership'
As a NACo member, all county elected officials and staff are members and can Access, Engage, Network, Save & Succeed.
ACCESS a seat at the table
ENGAGE on the issues that matter
NETWORK with counties nationwide
SAVE money, time and resources
SUCCEED as a county and as an individual
The National Association of Counties (NACo) unites America's 3,069 county governments. Founded in 1935, NACo brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on national policy, exchange ideas and build new leadership skills, pursue transformational county solutions, enrich the public's understanding of county government, and exercise exemplary leadership in public service.
NACo Resource for Counties: 'THE COUNTY LANDSCAPE'
Counties are one of America's oldest forms of government, governed by locally elected officials, including more than 19,000 county elected executives and board members and another 18,000 independently elected constitutional officers. Counties translate policy into action at the local level and are an integral part of the federal-state-local relationship.
This report provides an overview of the county landscape and illustrates the essential role counties play in fostering safe, vibrant and healthy communities across the nation. (The County Landscape - February 13, 2022)
NACo's County Explorer tool is the one-stop-shop for accessing county-level data and profiles that provide informative, statistical summaries based on available data points.
Counties: Building Healthy, Safe & Vibrant Communities
Counties Play a Major Role in our Nation's Infrastructure Network
Counties Play an Essential Role in Protecting, Promoting and Improving Community Health
Counties are the Backbone of the Justice and Public Safety System
Counties and the American Rescue Plant Act Recovery Fund (ARPA)
NACo CONFERENCE NEWS & REVIEWS
NACo conferences are key opportunities to exchange cutting-edge best practices and shape NACo’s federal policy agenda for the year ahead.
President Biden stressed partnership in his address to county leaders on Tuesday, February 15th, during this year’s General Session of the NACo Legislative Conference.
“I promise I’ll always have you as a partner with us,” Biden said. “The partnership was critical,” he said, in crafting the American Rescue Plan’s regulation delivering funding to every county in the country and in helping pass the bipartisan infrastructure law. Both, he said, will have lasting consequences for counties and the nation as a whole.
President Biden, as well as Texas Senator John Cornyn and senior administration officials discussed COVID-19 recovery efforts and the implementation of the American Rescue Plan.
UCCI Executive Committee members David Meyer (President-Washington County), David Zimmerman (Vice President-Tazewell County), Joseph Payette (Secretary-Carroll County), Samuel Newton (Stephenson County) and Matthew Prochaska (Kendall County), were among the nearly 2,000 county officials traveling to Washington, D.C. to hear from the administration and others on topics important to counties … from affordable housing to broadband to elections and immigration.
A Capitol Hill press briefing also allowed county leaders to discuss local government priorities with members of Congress, including, strengthening the intergovernmental partnership; implementation of the historic ARPA's Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund; critical need for full mandatory funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program; impacts of the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy; and, the county role in addressing intergenerational poverty.

NACo First Vice President Denise Winfrey, Will County Board Member, joined the Illinois Delegation dinner co-hosted by UCCI and ISACo.
Pictured with incoming NACo President Winfrey are UCCI Executive Committee members Matt Prochaska, David Meyer, Samuel Newton, and UCCI Deputy Director Ryan McCreery.
News & Resources from the 2022 Legislative Conference
Link to read more about the 2022 Legislative Conference.
2020 NACo Legislative Conference
February 29-March 4 (Washington, DC)

UCCI Executive Committee Members … David Meyer, President; David Zimmerman, Vice-President; Joseph Payette, Secretary; Matthew Prochaska and Samuel Newton (Members), joined county leaders from around the country in Washington, D.C. for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference.
UCCI Executive Committee Members
Participate in NACo Legislative Conference
“Federal decisions have direct and long-lasting impacts on county government,” said NACo President Mary Ann Borgeson. “This conference is an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with our federal partners as we share our own best practices with one another.”
President Donald J. Trump addressed county leaders and pledged that his administration will continue to be a “friend, partner, ally and resource” to America’s county governments.
Other speakers included U.S. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Ben Carson; General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, M.D.
Participants also met with members of the Trump administration and bipartisan members of Congress on several key federal policy priorities like pre-trial detainee health care and recidivism, election security, the opioid and substance abuse epidemic, broadband accessibility and revitalizing American infrastructure.
The conference featured three briefings on Capitol Hill.
~ One on the intersection of health and justice in county jails
~ One on the county role in elections
~ One on county priorities in transportation and infrastructure legislation
There were more than two dozen policy workshops featuring county officials and other leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. They focused on topics like the opioid crisis, early childhood investments, workforce and economic development, transportation and infrastructure, public health and safety, mental health and jails and cybersecurity and technology.
The National Association of Counties strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and, enrich the public’s understanding of county government.
2019 Annual Conference Highlights Clark County, Nevada
The NACo Annual Conference & Exposition is the largest meeting of county elected and appointed officials from across the country. Participants from counties of all sizes come together to shape NACo's federal policy agenda, share proven practices and strengthen knowledge networks to help improve residents’ lives and the efficiency of county government.
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The UCCI Executive Committee and Executive Director Mike McCreery were selected as NACo's '2019 Recruiter of the Year' and were officially recognized at the Membership Committee meeting held during the Annual Conference. Details available at this link.
Members of the Executive Committee present were David Meyer, President (Washington County Chair); David Zimmerman, Vice President (Tazewell County Chair); Joseph Payette, Secretary (Carroll County); and Board Members Samuel Newton (Stephenson County Vice Chair) and Matthew Prochaska (Kendall County Board Member).
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Archived Articles from NACo County News NOW
- June 21, 2018 ~ Win for Counties in Supreme Court Sales Tax Decision
U.S. Supreme Court overturns "physical presence" standard in major sales tax collection case
South Dakota versus Wayfair Supreme Court Decision. In a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that states and local governments can require vendors with no physical presence in the state to collect and remit existing sales taxes on remote or online purchases. Learn more at County News link above.
- January 31, 2018 ... Supreme Court to hear case on internet sales tax collection