It was a common problem, one that often generated newspaper headlines, a few days of scrutiny on talk radio and likely plenty of grumbling on social media.
An Alabama city council would bicker over who had the authority to do what, and the mayor’s office would butt heads with the elected legislative branch. Arguments ensued.
There was no single incident that prompted the Alabama League of Municipalities to push for mandatory training, said Greg Cochran, the organization’s executive director. Instead, a mounting number of disputes and other issues caused enough concern for the Montgomery-based municipal advocacy group to act.
“There were many times we look at it (and thought), ‘if they were just engaged in the education training process, they would have known they didn’t have the authority to do this or knew the best practices to do that,” Cochran said. “That’s when it came to us that maybe we should make this mandatory.”
The Alabama Municipal Official Training Act, approved by the Legislature in 2024 and implemented in 2025, continues to loom large over the state’s 466 municipalities and their elected officials.
The League has offered its voluntary Certified Municipal Official, or CMO, training program since 1994. But the new law mandates training, including 40 hours during an official’s first four-year term.
Cochran said Alabama is the first state in which its League of Municipalities backed a mandatory training law.
This week in Mobile, about 300 elected officials attending a municipal leadership institute participated in sessions focused on artificial intelligence and other issues facing local governments.
They also heard from U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican candidate for governor on Nov. 3, who said that, if elected, his administration would attend future League meetings and provide assistance and training on grant applications.
Riverside Mayor Rusty Jessup, the current president of the League of Municipalities, said the training is particularly timely given that it’s taking place a little more than one year after Alabama held municipal elections.
“We have about 30 percent turnover this year in elected officials after the last election,” Jessup said. “There was a real need.”
Beyond the annual institute, mayors and city council members participate in formal training through both in-person and online courses throughout the year.
The subjects cover the nuts and bolts of municipal government, including ethics, budgeting, the powers and duties of municipal governments, police and planning jurisdictions, public records, competitive bid laws, the Alabama Open Meetings Act and zoning.
While in Mobile, the League also recognized participants during its annual graduation and awards ceremony. There is no punishment for officials who fail to complete the training, but the League monitors their progress and offers incentives and recognition to elected officials and municipalities that complete the requirements.
More than 90 municipal officials graduated and received awards for participating in the CMO program.
Awards also went to three municipalities - Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and Shorter - recognizing cities where the mayor and the entire council each obtained at least 40 credit hours of training within a year.
The League recommends officials earn approximately 10 credit hours per year. Mayors and council members attending the Mobile training institute could earn around six credit hours.
“Most of everyone, and you’re an elected official, you have a responsibility and most are good (with participating in the training),” Jessup said. “You have a few who don’t care. But they don’t last long anyway. But we don’t really have a problem with folks getting behind. They want to keep up.”
Cochran said mayors and council members have plenty of opportunities to meet the requirement.
The League hosts around 18 meetings across the state and offers 22 programs, in partnership with the Alabama Community College System, that mayors and council members can access online. After the 2025 municipal elections, the organization also held four orientation sessions across Alabama.
For Cochran, the training is about more than ensuring officials understand the technical requirements of municipal government.
“For me it’s about managing expectations among the legislature and the citizenry,” Cochran said. “Our citizens have to trust their local officials. It’s the only way they can get the resources they need to run a vibrant community.”
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