Providing a wide variety of training opportunities relevant to your daily challenges in public office is an important service that the Texas Association of Counties provides our members. Our training events—designed and guided by county officials ‐ target the needs of the county audience and provide a unique opportunity for everyone to participate in coordinated, professionally planned educational activities that offer great networking opportunities.

 

As you know, county government must operate within a complex web of laws and regulations. One of county officials’ greatest challenges is ensuring that operations are not only efficient, but also within the law. By offering a toll-free legal hotline (888-ASK-TAC4), TAC legal specialists can assist county officials in researching issues to find statutes, regulations, opinions and court cases relevant to a particular county situation. It will be comforting to know that you approached your difficult job with a good understanding of the laws that apply to your operations. In addition, we provide many legal resources online, including notice of upcoming legal deadlines, a wide variety of legal publications, and links to helpful legal resources.

 

The TAC Legal Department also responds quickly to important legal developments by providing notice and analysis to the right people. TAC also distributes upon request a number of helpful legal guides on topics that include: oath and bond requirements; open meetings, public information, financial disclosure for county officers, public finance, bail bonds, animal control and others.​

​​The TAC Legislative Department helps county officials connect with state officials in Austin and provides important information to the state leadership. Both legislators and state agency leaders turn to TAC to find out how county officials feel about important issues that affect county government, while county officials count on TAC legislative liaisons to provide them with relevant information and voice county concerns to state officials. TAC legislative liaisons also promote county interests by serving on state and federal advisory committees and workgroups.

 

​The TAC Risk Management Services Department helps counties band together and self-insure against a broad range of liabilities and risks, provide affordable health benefits to county officials and employees and pay for the unemployment benefits required by law. Owned and managed by counties, these programs have saved Texas taxpayers millions of dollars and grown into a stable, sustainable resource of protection, specifically tailored for the unique needs of counties. TAC's self-insurance pools offer all the protection necessary for counties, county officials and county employees.

 

Learn more about our pool and risk services.

 

CIRA is an interlocal government agency supported by TAC and dedicated to helping counties with their technology challenges. 

 

County Market offers varied services that can give counties opportunity for efficiency and cost savings. But how to get started? And when to use which tool? This section will cover the basics of the major types of on-line purchasing services County Market offers.