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The Alabama League of Municipalities hosted its annual graduation and awards ceremonies on October 30, 2024, at Perdido Beach Resort. Over 100 municipal officials graduated or received awards from participating in the Certified Municipal Official (CMO) program. Perry Roquemore Jr., ALM’s third executive director, delivered the commencement address and shared his enthusiasm for the growth of the program, which was created under his leadership in 1994.
Throughout the year, officials receive formal classroom training, in-person and through online courses, in foundational government operations and best practices to abide by state laws. Municipal officials have the incentive of obtaining three different levels of CMO certification after completing 40, 80 and 120 credit hours of training as well as graduating. This year, 50 certified municipal officials, 45 advanced certified municipal officials and 17 CMO emeriti, earned their respective designations. As of graduation, more than 5,200 municipal officials have attended the League’s training in municipal government since its inception.
“We are very proud to have the second oldest elected municipal official training program in the nation, and we are even more excited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this outstanding program,” ALM Executive Director Greg Cochran said. “A major component of the League’s mission is to train and prepare our new and veteran, local elected officials with the skills and latest resources needed to help them serve their communities to the best of their abilities.”
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the CMO program, the League awarded 20 officials with its new tiered emeritus lapel pins. On average, it takes five or six years to complete the general requirements for the emeritus certification. CMO emeritus officials that reached between 200 and 299 hours of training obtained the second tier and received a new lapel pin with one green stone, those that reached between 300 and 399 hours obtained the third tier and received a new pin with two green stones; and those that reached over 400 hours obtained the fourth tier and received a new pin with three crystal clear stones.
The League also presented Certified Municipal Achievement (CMA) Awards to 15 municipalities, the most since its inception. The CMA Awards were created in 2018 to honor municipalities where the municipality’s mayor and full council obtain at least 40 credit hours individually, if not more, within a year.
Cochran added, “We hope these new CMO emeritus tiered levels and the CMA Awards will further incentivize all municipal officials to keep striving for more training!”
During the 2024 Legislative Session, Sen. Jabo Waggoner and Rep. Jim Hill, introduced legislation to the Alabama Legislature in 2024 to expand the CMO program from a voluntary program to mandated training. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Municipal Official Training Act into law on May 3, 2024.
The act specifically requires mayors and councilmembers to complete 10 hours of training annually, provided by ALM, during their first term in office. All elected local officials will be required to receive five hours of training credits annually after receiving the 40 hours required for ALM’s basic CMO certification. The act takes effect January 1, 2025.
