Phillips County's Robinson sworn in as WIR President

Commissioner Lesley Robinson, Phillips County, Mont., was sworn in on May 23 as president of the Western Interstate Region (WIR), a caucus affiliated with the National Association of Counties (NACo). During her swearing-in at NACo's WIR conference in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska, Robinson spoke of her commitment to be a strong voice for Western county policy priorities at the federal level.

"As president of NACo's Western Interstate Region, I will help shape federal policies that directly affect Phillips County and other counties across the country," said Robinson. "With critical legislative and regulatory issues being debated in the nation's capital, I want to make sure Western voices are heard loud and clear."

Top WIR issues include reauthorizing MAP-21, the surface transportation bill; securing long-term funding solutions for counties through the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) programs; and amplifying county voices on the newly-proposed definition of "waters of the U.S." and endangered species act legislation.

Robinson's swearing-in took place at the conclusion of the annual WIR conference where hundreds of county officials gathered to discuss and address issues particularly important to local communities. For more infor-mation about WIR, visit: http://www.naco.org/legislation/policies/Pages/WIR.aspx