Elected & Appointed Officials

Alabama elected and appointed officials are at multiple levels: state, county, city, and town.

How to Identify Your Government Officials

State: To identify your state elected officials, go to the Secretary of State’s “Find My Elected Officials Map” to search by address. Federal officials (U.S. Senators) are listed first in the search results. Scroll down for the names of your district’s State Senator and State Representative. Search for each name on the Alabama Legislature website or Ballotpedia for contact information and to learn about legislation they are sponsoring.

County: Every Alabama county is governed by a county commission chairman and commissioners, who are elected, and an appointed county administrator. To find your county’s officials, enter the county’s name followed by “county commission” in a search engine. This Marshall County Commission page is an example of what to look for.

There are several counties, some cities, and many towns in Alabama which have no website. Search results should bring up directory information for the county commission or courthouse, city or town, sheriff, and police departments, so that you can call to ask.

City: Every Alabama city is governed by a mayor and a city council. To find city elected and appointed officials, search for the city website and then look for links to the mayor and city council. Some cities have city administrators or city managers who are directly involved in the functioning of the city.

Town: Every Alabama town has a mayor and town council. Enforcement of animal laws in towns may be handled by an appointed agent, by town police and court, or may fall in the purview of the county in which the town is located.

Communication with Elected Officials

Elected officials serve at the will of the people and are supposed to represent the interests of their constituents. When it comes to issues related to animals, the dual cultures in Alabama regarding animals come into play. Many people consider their companion animals members of the family who live inside and are included in family trips and celebrations. Others — including some elected officials — view companion animals as more like livestock that serve a purpose and would no sooner bring a dog inside the house to live than they would set a place at the dinner table for a pig. Ours is an agricultural state and the influence of the agriculture industry on issues related to dogs and cats is real. Many proposed state laws have failed due to what is called the “slippery slope” argument in which elected officials or influential organizations claim that laws that relate specifically to dogs and cats will somehow be applied to cattle, goats, or pigs.

Communicating with elected officials is an exercise in diplomacy. Time and time again, well-meaning people communicate with elected and appointed officials in ways that are counterproductive. Some make accusations, use name calling, and even make threats (which is illegal). The people who approach animal issues with a scorched earth or “hair on fire” approach damage the reputations of all who speak out for animals to the point where our message is often not heard.

Do not let your message get lost due to lack of respect or knowledge about the subject matter. If you communicate with state elected officials about a bill that is being considered, read the bill yourself before you communicate your support for or opposition to the bill. Do not copy and paste wording from social media: Make your words your own so you will be taken seriously. If you want something from local elected officials, be very clear about what you want, how it would be accomplished and be prepared to provide detailed information. It is not enough to just complain without offering solutions.