REGION- Alabama commissioners were educated on their basic responsibilities as they attended training from the Alabama Local Government Training Institute.

Elijah Knox of Hale County and Calvin Martin of Marengo County were among the 55 state commissioners who attended the training.

The program began in 1994 and is mandatory for first-time officials.

It is designed to emphasize budgeting, personnel matters, planning and road and bridge responsibilities.

“They told us how to conduct meetings and what we could and couldn’t vote on,” Knox said. “I learned a lot.”

Knox said he was advised to attend the training, but wanted to go anyway.

“I wanted to learn what I can’t do,” he said.

He said he had just arrived back in town from a meeting in Orange Beach and plans on furthering his commission knowledge every chance he gets.

The commissioners were honored at the Association of County Commissions of Alabama’s 77th Annual Convention’s Award Ceremony.

The officials received a certificate for completing the 50-hour training session.