The City of Madison appointed a new mayor and District 4 commissioner during a special meeting Wednesday.
James Stanley, the new mayor and commissioner, previously served the city in both positions for a total of 10 years. His appointment follows the resignation of former mayor Byron Poore on July 9th. Watch the video to see what’s next for the city.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
James Stanley is the City of Madison’s new District 4 commissioner and mayor.
Commissioners appointed him during a special meeting on Wednesday.
I heard about the opportunity here, and I was asked would I serve again, and I told them certainly Id be glad to, Stanley said.
His appointment comes after former Mayor Byron Poore resigned on July 9th.
Some neighbors questioned the transparency of the selection process.
I know you have a deadline, but it’s a concern to me that it was not really publicly announced so other candidates could come forward, a resident said during public comment.
Some expressed confusion about how Stanley was appointed.
I have a question, so yall don’t vote? Y’all just appointed somebody? Why wasn’t that in the paper? a candidate for commissioner said after the appointment.
Did you guys receive applications from these individuals, and was this the formal interview process here? ABC 27s Brieanna Smith asked.
“Basically, the way this has been done here historically is that interested candidates appear before the council and make their qualifications known, their desire to serve known, Doug Brown said.
Interim City Manager Doug Brown says the position was posted on the city’s website and outside City Hall.
He tells Smith the city also had a deadline.
“If we did not do this within a 10-day time frame, then it would go to the governor for an appointment, and I think the commissioners wanted to be able to have their pick, he said.
Stanley tells Smith he served 10 years on the city commission as mayor and commissioner. He also served as the Madison County’s emergency management director for 19 years
We have some problems here we need to put our faith in the lord and move forward and get these problems taken care of, Stanley said.
The new mayor will serve until March 2026. Neighbors can then vote on whether to keep Stanley as commissioner.
The interim city manager says the commission’s next step is to find another city manager in the next few months.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.