Chris Bieri/PCT (From left) North Dakota Association of Counties legal counsel Aaron Birst, N.D. County Commissioners Association President Douglas Graupe and NDAoC President Roger Chinn speak to the Pierce County Commissioners during a tour stop at the Pierce County Courthouse on Aug. 15.

Representatives from the North Dakota Association of Counties visited the Pierce County Courthouse on Aug. 15 to tour the courthouse and discuss county issues with the Pierce County Commissioners.

The group, headed by Roger Chinn, the president of the N.D. Association of Counties, and Douglas Graupe, president of the N.D. County Commissioner Association, discussed a number of issues with Pierce County’s five-person commission.

Among the items were state funding toward the counties, especially in the area of social services.

The discussion also touched on taxes, as well as funding for a number of projects not unique to an individual county.

The NDACo is mainly a lobby group, which tries to affect both legislation and funding for counties at the state level.

It also works to promote education for county officials and facilitate with other branches of government.

Chinn is a McKenzie County Commissioner, and Graupe is a commissioner from Divide County.

Also on the tour was Mark A. Johnson, the executive director of the ND%ACo, legal counsel Aaron Birst, and communications manager Jeff Eslinger.