Jefferson County Commission

Commissioners for 2018-2022 and 2022-2026

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.

History

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

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 established 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 ever elected to the 3-member at-large 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. A lawsuit brought in 2023 argued that subsequent reapportionments have increasingly packed Black voters into those two districts, and that a more equitable map would include at least one "crossover district" with no clear racial majority.

Commissioners

Before 1931

1819: Rueben Reed William Erwin John Adams John Cochran William Prude 1822: Rueben Reed William Erwin John Adams John Cochran William Prude Peyton King John M. Martin 1872–1874: James Wilson J. L. Gillispie N. D. Talley J. A. Snow

1874–1876 James Wilson J. L. Gillispie Isaac Brown Chambers McAdory 1880–1882: Paul H. Earle Thomas M. Parsons W. B. Vines William A. White District 4: W. W. Perkins 1883 Samuel Huey W. W. Perkin Felix Montgomery 1884–1888: Thomas M. Parsons G. L. Thomas W. B. Vines William A. White 1888–1890: George Thomas William Hickman J. P. McAdory W. I. Brown

1892-1894: Andrew Tarrant, chair 1890-1892: Andrew Tarrant, chair William Hickman 1904-1908: John G. Reed (Huffman) H. W. Crook (Bessemer) Charles Dickey (Birmingham) Job Going (Pratt City) Hugh McGeever (Birmingham) 1908–1912: Robert Lovelady (Woodlawn), 1st term Hugh McGeever (Birmingham) 1912–1916: Robert Lovelady (Woodlawn) 2nd term, chair Rufe Bivins W. J. Cameron Hugh McGeever L. H. Pennington

1916–1920: Robert Lovelady, Woodlawn, president (resigned 1919) J. W. Gwin, president (1919-1920) W. J. Cameron Hugh McGeever Lawrence Pennington 1920–1924: J. W. Gwin, president F. A. Hewitt Robert Lovelady J. B. Vines Rufe Bivins 1928-1931: W. D. "Wash" Bishop, president W. E. Corning J. B. Vines

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 (resigned May 2023), Mike Bolin (2023–2026)

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
• Swetlik, Sarah (April 7, 2023) "Jefferson County sued over alleged racial gerrymandering, vote packing" AL.com
• Bryant, Joseph D. (August 31, 2023) "Federal judge to decide whether new Jefferson County Commission district lines are racially unfair." AL.com
• Bryant, Joseph D. (December 23, 2023) "Future of Jefferson County’s political leadership proceeds to federal court." AL.com