This week, the Alabama League of Municipalities is celebrating the 30th
anniversary of the Certified Municipal Official (CMO) program. In 1994, the League launched
its voluntary CMO program under the leadership of its former executive director, Perry
Roquemore Jr., making it the second oldest elected municipal official training program in the
country.
The first session of the CMO program was held at the Adams Mark Hotel in Mobile on
September 22, 1994. Nearly 200 officials enrolled in the program that year.
“We are extremely proud of how the Certified Municipal Official program has evolved over the
past three decades from offering the basic designation to an Advanced CMO and CMO Emeritus
designation,” ALM Executive Director Greg Cochran said. “The success of this program is a
reflection of our organization’s continued commitment to providing municipal officials with the
necessary skills and resources to strengthen their leadership knowledge and cultivate vibrant
communities.”
The CMO program has grown to provide training in several formats each year including in-
person multiday conferences, one day regional trainings and online training to teach the
fundamentals of local government and share policy updates and resources.
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. ALM also offers a
Certified Municipality Achievement Award, which recognizes cities and towns where the mayor
and all councilmembers have earned the professional designation of Certified Municipal Official
within the same year. The League has had more than 5,000 officials engage in the program since
it was established and has presented 63 Certified Municipality Achievement Awards since
creating the honor in 2018.
“Back in 1986, when I became executive director of the League, I noticed there were all kinds of
training programs for municipal clerks, administrators and revenue officers but nothing for
elected municipal officials. Following in Georgia’s footsteps, we created the Certified Municipal
Official program to develop quality leaders,” Roquemore said. “This program has exceeded
every expectation and has helped our CMO graduates elevate their communities and serve in
higher leadership positions from the state to the national level.”
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.
Examples of courses the training provides include: the general powers of municipalities; duties
of the mayor and council; ethics; annexations; authority to expend municipal funds;
parliamentary procedure; conflicts of interests; legislative advocacy; liability; public records;
police and planning jurisdiction; public works bidding; revenue sources; the competitive bid law;
budgeting; audit requirements; the public purpose doctrine; the Open Meetings Act; municipal
boards and zoning.
The League will host a graduation ceremony honoring all designations of the CMO program on
October 30 in Orange Beach at Perdido Beach Resort. More than 100 officials, representing
various cities and towns across Alabama, are expected to graduate.
The act takes effect January 1, 2025.