Dougherty County will celebrate National County Government Month (NCGM) during the month of April to showcase how the county achieves healthy, safe and vibrant com- munities. The theme for this year’s celebration of NCGM in Dougherty County is “Get to Know Your County Departments,” where each department of Dougherty County Government will be highlighted throughout the month of April.

New to this year’s NCGM celebration is the National Association of Counties (NACo) “I Love My County Because” art contest. This is an opportunity for children and young adults ages 18 and under to create artwork during NCGM for NACo’s 2021-2022 “Counties Matter” calendar. Winning artwork will be featured in an 18-month NACo calendar, which will be distributed to NACo members nationwide. Winners will also be announced in County News with their artwork displayed at NACo’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. For a full listing of eligibility and criteria for the art contest, visit naco.org/ncgm.

“Dougherty County is proud of the programs and services we provide to our residents,” said Christopher S. Cohilas, Chairman of the Dougherty County Board of Commissioners. “Our efforts combined with ef- forts of counties across the country are helping American communities respond to the needs in our com- munities and I encourage all county residents to participation in NCGM and learn more about Dougherty County and the services we offer.”

“Our county employees work hard each day to provide top-notch services to the citizens of Dougherty County,” said Michael McCoy, Dougherty County Administrator. “We are pleased to use this month to be able to highlight the efforts of our county departments and the hard-working staff who are dedicated to our county’s needs.”