New Mayors, City Leaders Gather in Montgomery for State-Mandated Training
The Alabama Municipal Official Training Act requires municipal officials to have annual training on ethics, budgeting, transparency, other topics
Nearly 500 newly elected and veteran City officials from across Alabama gathered in Montgomery this week for required training hosted by the Alabama League of Municipalities (ALM).
The 1½-day sessions, held October 29–30, cover a broad set of topics: open meetings, budgeting, legal limits for officials, ethics and more. Legislators in Montgomery passed a law last year requiring that any elected municipal official complete this training—whether it’s their first term or not.
Sherry Sullivan, mayor of Fairhope and President of ALM, told WAKA 8,
“They’re going to learn everything from things about open meetings to budgeting to you name it, especially the legal aspect, you know things they can and can’t do as an elected official.”
Alabama is only one of only two States in the nation that require such mandatory training for municipal officials.
The training requirement comes from Act 2024-194, also called the Alabama Municipal Official Training Act, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in 2024. Beginning January 1, 2025, newly elected Mayors and City Council members must complete 10 hours of approved training each year during their first term, covering topics like ethics, budgeting, open meetings, and municipal powers. Officials already certified through the State’s Certified Municipal Official (CMO) program need only five hours per year, while those re-elected must complete 20 hours per term. The law directs the Alabama League of Municipalities to coordinate the program with the State Ethics Commission, Attorney General’s Office, and Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. Municipalities are required to reimburse officials for reasonable expenses related to the training.
ALM designed these orientation sessions to equip leaders with resources and peer networks. The curriculum introduces attendees to ALM’s mission, services and programs, and pairs them with the Alabama Ethics Commission for focused ethics training. Officials also meet with counterparts to discuss common challenges and share solutions.
In addition to the in-person sessions, ALM has partnered with the Alabama Community College System to offer online training modules covering a list of topics for deeper learning.
This fall’s training session is only part of ALM’s “Certified Municipal Official” program; the Montgomery session is one of several regional orientations scheduled this year.
The Alabama League of Municipalities is a nonpartisan association representing over 450 cities and towns in Alabama, focused on strengthening municipal government through advocacy, training, and support services. Established in 1935, it serves as the voice for local governments and provides resources to enhance effective leadership and governance.
