HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA – – The seat that was once held by Madison County Commissioner Bob Harrison has finally been filled. Governor Kay Ivey recently announced that JesHenry Malone had been appointed as the new Madison County Commissioner for Harrison’s district. Harrison, who passed away in October 2017, had served District 6 since 2004.
When asked about the normal time set aside for replacing a commissioner, a specific time is unknown. The only known fact is that the governor is authorized to make an appointment. Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong shared, “This is uncharted waters for Madison County. This is only the second time, in the history of the Madison County Commission, someone died in the middle of their term. The only other person I am aware of was Charles Stone, who went through a lengthy illness and his son was appointed to his seat.”
Sharing second hand information, Strong mentioned that several people sent letters stating that if the governor wanted them to serve, they would. However, there were 11 resumes submitted requesting consideration for the job. Dr. Izora Harrison, Harrison’s widow, was asked if she would consider completing his term. She respectfully declined, according to Strong.
Malone, who served as the first African-American Captain of the Huntsville Police Department, was one of the 11 who applied for the job. Several qualified for the job, but Malone obviously stood above the rest.
When Malone was asked what drove him to seek this position he replied, “When I reached the rank of Captain, it put me into a different arena of management. I got a chance to form relationships with different people such as economic development leaders, politicians, business leaders, etc. This positon is a natural extension of what I already do.”
As the new commissioner, Malone’s initial goal is to simply listen to the concerns of his constituents and try to offer an immediate solution. From there, he will decide on what’s critical for the district’s continual survival. One of Malone’s near future goal is to assist the district with job programs by partnering with business leaders, in order to fill those positions with District 6 residents.
Even though Strong anticipated that Harrison would have been back on the job within a few weeks, considering he had spoken with him just hours before he passed in regards to issues of Madison County, he has accepted the fact that God had another plan. He strongly believes the new appointee will do a good job and represent District 6 well.
Calls made to Governor Ivey’s office in regards to Malone’s appointment were unreturned. Malone will fulfill the unexpired term until 2020.
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