North Dakota Association of Counties

Jones Gives Update on Redesign Project

ND Human Services Director Chris Jones updated Burleigh and Morton County Social Service employees on the Social Service Redesign Project on May 30. Watch the video here.

Posted 6/13/18 (Wed) read more »

Traynor Named NDACo Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the North Dakota Association of Counties, at their quarterly meeting April 26, 2018, named Terry Traynor as the Association's fifth Executive Director. Traynor has been with NDACo since 1986, when he left the Morton County Highway Department to join Mark Johnson at the still young organization. As Assistant Director of Policy and Programs, Terry oversaw more than a dozen program areas, served on several state and national boards, and played an integral role in the Association's lobbying effort. He will continue in many of those roles while transitioning into his new role as Executive Director. "I am thrilled, humbled, energized, nervous, and most of all optimistic," Traynor said about his promotion. "The Board has trusted me with the resources and the support I need. It is now my obligation to respond to their trust."

Posted 5/04/18 (Fri) read more »

Johnson Retires from NDACo

Mark A. Johnson, CAE retired as Executive Director of the North Dakota Association of Counties, effective March 31, 2018. Johnson has led the Association for 35 years, building the organization from a staff of two to one of the nation’s leading associations of its kind, offering multiple innovative programs to counties. In announcing the decision, Johnson said, “While retirement will be a welcome new stage in my life, it will be difficult for me not to be working alongside so many fine people from the state’s counties every day. That’s been one of the great joys of my career.”

Posted 2/23/18 (Fri) read more »

9-1-1 Celebrates 50 years

The first 9-1-1 call was made February 16, 1968. More than 230,000 calls to 9-1-1 are made every year in North Dakota. Plus, citizens are now able to text to 9-1-1 in cases where that is safer to communicate for help. In 2017, approximately 140 calls using text messaging were sent in North Dakota.

Posted 2/16/18 (Fri) read more »

Counties Complete Jail Expansion Projects

North Dakota Counties have responded to a lack of inmate housing by adding 880 beds in 2017. Over the course of the year, eight jail facilities have opened with new, expanded space to hold additional inmates.

Posted 1/10/18 (Wed) read more »

Legislature Studies Future of Funding Transportation

North Dakota lawmakers serving on the Government Finance Committee are discussing how to fund state and local roads in the future. Part of that discussion this interim includes exploring possible increases to the state’s gas tax and registration fees, as well as alternative revenue ideas.

Posted 12/27/17 (Wed) read more »

Few Counties Have Addressed Medical Marijuana Zoning

According to a recent NDACo survey, a majority of North Dakota counties have done little in adopting zoning ordinances to address regulating medical marijuana manufacturing and distribution centers.

Posted 12/27/17 (Wed) read more »

Interim Justice Reinvestment Committee Update

The Justice Reinvestment Committee is charged with continuing the study of alternatives to incarceration through the interim. This effort has been on-going since 2005 and will focus more this interim on behavior health programs for individuals in the criminal justice system.