Jefferson County Commission: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:26, 7 April 2023

The Jefferson County Commission is a five-member group granted legislative and executive duties for Jefferson County. The Commissioners, formerly elected at-large, are now elected by district to four year terms. Each commissioner, in addition to representing his or her district, is given charge of a department of the county for administration. The commission elects its own President, who chairs commission meetings and has executive duties over the county as a whole.

Duties of the commission include administration of county funds and custodianship of county property, collection of taxes passed by state law, construction and maintenance of public facilities, provision of public utilities and services, and making appointments to various boards and agencies.

Jefferson County Commission
District 1	Lashunda Scales	District 2	Sheila Tyson	District 3	Jimmie Stephens
District 4	Joe Knight	District 5	Mike Bolin

History

By 1890 residents of Jefferson County were complaining of excessive compensation for County Commissioners, who were entitled by law to receive $5 for each day conducting county business, which was stretched in practice to every business day.

In 1892 the Alabama General Assembly passed a bill restricting the days that the Commissioner's Court could meet in session to 10 in each calendar month, excepting the three months during which it was engaged in equalizing the taxation of property. Later the responsibility of inspecting roads was largely given over to a newly-created Jefferson County Road Commission.

In January 1899 Governor Joseph Johnston conducted a review of the Commission's work and concluded that, "a very irregular and unbusinesslike state of affairs existed," that, "many contracts were given to relatives," that, "they have drawn large amounts from the treasury for themselves in violation of the law," and that, "the affairs of the county are managed with reckless extravagance."

Shortly afterward the Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill (H. 986) which would abolish the Commissioner's Court and replace it with a five-member Jefferson County Board of Revenue. The house bill received an unfavorable report from the Alabama State Senate's committee on local laws. During debate in the Senate on February 17, the bill was amended to give the Judge of Probate responsibility for presiding over a four-member elected board. That version was passed.

In 1901 a separate Jefferson County Sanitary Commission was created to plan and implement a Jefferson County Sewer System with waste treatment plants to end the practice of letting raw sewage flow into Village Creek and Valley Creek. After the initial planning was completed, the commission was dissolved and the responsibility passed back to the County Commission.

In 1931 the Alabama State Legislature abolished the five-member Board of Revenue and Instituted a three-person County Commission. As instituted, the members would serve staggered 6-year terms with an election every two years. However in 1935 the Legislature changed the schedule so that all three members would serve at-large, and be elected together to 2-year terms.

No Black commissioners were elected to the 3-member commission. A suit brought in U.S. District Court, Michael Taylor, et al. v. Jefferson County Commission, et al, resulted in a 1985 consent decree that expanded the commission to 5 members, each representing a voting district, two of which were drawn as majority-Black.

Commissioners for 2018-2022 and 2022-2026

Before 1931

1928-1931

1923

1916-1920

Robert Lovelady, Woodlawn, president (resigned 1919)
J. W. Gwin, president (1919-1920)
W. J. Cameron
Hugh McGeever
Lawrence Pennington

1912-1916

Robert Lovelady, Woodlawn, chair (2nd term)
Rufe Bivins
W. J. Cameron
Hugh McGeever
L. H. Pennington

1908-1912

Robert Lovelady, Woodlawn (1st term)
Hugh McGeever, Birmingham

1904-1908

1892-1894

Andrew Tarrant, chair

1890-1892

Andrew Tarrant, chair
William Hickman

1888–1890

1884–1888

1880–1884

As of 1884, the Commission met on the second Mondays of February, July and August and the first Mondays of April and November, or as needed.

1876–1880

1874–1876

1872–1874

1822

Rueben Reed, William Erwin, John Adams, John Cochran, William Prude, Peyton King & John M. Martin

1819

Rueben Reed, William Erwin, John Adams, John Cochran and William Prude

1931–1985

1931–1933:
- W. D. "Wash" Bishop, chair
- W. E. Corning
- J. B. Vines

1935–1937:
- W. D. "Wash" Bishop, chair
- Robert E. Smith
- W. E. Dickson

1937–1939:
- W. E. Corning, president (died December 1938)
- Robert E. Smith
- W. E. Dickson

1939–1941:
- Bob Wharton, president
- Earl Bruner
- Henry Sweet

1945–1947:
- Clarence Pinson, president
- Earl Bruner
- Henry Sweet

1947–1949:
- Clarence Pinson, president
- Earl Bruner
- Charles Harrison

1951–1953:
- W. D. "Dee" Kendrick, president
- T. C. Pridmore
- Charles Harrison

1953–1955:
- W. D. "Dee" Kendrick, President
- Eddie H. Gilmore
- Charles Harrison

1955–1957:
- W. D. "Dee" Kendrick, President
- Eddie H. Gilmore
- Charles Harrison

1957–1959:
- W. D. "Dee" Kendrick, President
- Eddie H. Gilmore
- Charles Harrison

1959–1961:
- W. D. "Dee" Kendrick, President
- Eddie H. Gilmore
- Tom Pinson

1961–1963:
- W. D. "Dee" Kendrick, President
- Eddie H. Gilmore
- Tom Pinson

1966–1970:
- Cooper Green, president
- Eddie Gilmore
- Tom Pinson

1974–1978:
Chriss Doss
Ben Erdreich

1978–1982:
- Tom Gloor, president
- Chriss Doss
- Ben Erdreich

1982–1984:
- Chriss Doss, president
- Ray Moore
- Tom Gloor (resigned 1982), David Orange elected to fill vacant seat

1984–1986:
Chriss Doss
David Orange

1986–present

1986–1990:
- District 1: Reuben Davis
- District 2: Chris McNair
- District 3: David Orange, president
- District 4: Jim Gunter
- District 5: John Katopodis

1990–1994:
- District 1: Jeff Germany
- District 2: Chris McNair
- District 3: Mary Buckelew, president
- District 4: Jim Gunter
- District 5: Gary White

1994–1998:
- District 1: Jeff Germany
- District 2: Chris McNair
- District 3: Mary Buckelew, president
- District 4: Bettye Fine Collins
- District 5: Gary White

1998–2002:
- District 1: Jeff Germany
- District 2: Chris McNair (resigned March 29, 2001), Steve Small Jr (appointed 2001)
- District 3: Mary Buckelew
- District 4: Bettye Fine Collins
- District 5: Gary White, President

2002–2006:
- District 1: Larry Langford, President. Commissioner of Finance and General Services
- District 2: Shelia Smoot, Commissioner of Roads & Transportation and Community & Economic Development
- District 3: Mary Buckelew, Commissioner of Technology and Land Development
- District 4: Bettye Fine Collins, Commissioner of Health and Human Services
- District 5: Gary White, Commissioner of Environmental Services

2006–2010:
- District 1: George Bowman, Commissioner of Health and Human Services (previously held by Larry Langford (2006-2007), George Bowman (2007-2008), and William Bell (2008-2010)
- District 2: Shelia Smoot, Commissioner of Information Technology
- District 3: Bobby Humphryes, Commissioner of Roads & Transportation
- District 4: Bettye Fine Collins, President, Commissioner of Finance
- District 5: Jim Carns, Commissioner of Environmental Services

2010–2014:
- District 1: George Bowman
- District 2: Sandra Little Brown, president pro tem
- District 3: Jimmie Stephens
- District 4: Joe Knight
- District 5: David Carrington, president

2014–2018:
- District 1: George Bowman
- District 2: Sandra Little Brown, president pro tem
- District 3: Jimmie Stephens, president
- District 4: Joe Knight
- District 5: David Carrington

2018–2022:
- District 1: Lashunda Scales, president pro tempore
- District 2: Sheila Tyson
- District 3: Jimmie Stephens, president
- District 4: Joe Knight
- District 5: Steve Ammons

2022–2026
- District 1: Lashunda Scales
- District 2: Sheila Tyson
- District 3: Jimmie Stephens, president
- District 4: Joe Knight, president pro tempore
- District 5: Steve Ammons

Jefferson County

Topics

Communities | County Commission | Courts | Schools | Sheriff

Cities

References

"Journal of the Senate of the State of Alabama, Session of 1898-9." (1900) Alabama State Senate. Jacksonville, Florida: Vance Printing Co.
Wright, Barnett (September 5, 2019) "With Top Republicans At Odds, Democrats Shift Balance of Power In Jeffco." The Birmingham Times