As Madison County awaits Governor Kay Ivey’s appointment of a new commission chairman, District 4 Commissioner Phil Vandiver says the board is united and ready to move quickly on major projects.
The Madison County Commission recently passed a resolution formally urging the governor to consider appointing one of the six current commissioners to serve as chairman following the retirement of Chairman Mac McCutcheon, effective March 1.
Vandiver described the resolution as a respectful request, not a demand.
“This was a convenient request to her. This was not a demand or anything like that,” Vandiver said. “We just feel like that there’s a lot of projects that need to move along as fast as we can. And we believe that one of the six of us could go in as chairman and carry Madison County forward, put the gas pedal to the floor and make sure that we’re doing these projects as fast as possible.”
Under Alabama law, the governor appoints a replacement when a vacancy occurs in the chairman’s office.
Vandiver said the urgency stems from Madison County’s rapid growth and its role as what he called the economic engine of North Alabama.
“I believe the way we’re growing and the way that we’re sort of the economic engine of North Alabama, that we’ve got to work together with all the other counties and make sure that their needs are being met along with Madison County’s needs,” he said.
Among the top priorities are evaluating plans for a new courthouse, continuing intersection improvements and securing funding to widen major roads.
The county is currently using American Rescue Plan Act funds for intersection upgrades but will soon shift to county dollars for additional projects.
The bigger challenge, Vandiver said, is finding state or federal funding to widen two lane roads to five lanes, a process that can cost $10 million to $12 million per mile.
“It’s unreal that an intersection improvement around about costs a million dollars, but that’s routine now,” he said, citing engineering requirements and state and federal regulations as key drivers of rising costs.
Madison County operates on an annual budget of about $110 million, Vandiver said, with roughly half traditionally allocated to public safety. Of that, about one quarter of the total budget goes to the county jail.
“That’s an animal that’s just changing, and they’re getting fuller and fuller as the county expands,” he said.
Commissioners are evaluating whether to expand the existing jail or construct an additional facility, while also working to recruit and retain deputies. The county currently employs about 200 deputies and may need to increase that number as the population grows.
Outfitting patrol vehicles has also become more expensive, Vandiver said. A new vehicle can cost $50,000 before equipment, with the final cost rising to $75,000 or more once radios and safety gear are installed.
“Safety is a big priority of the Madison County Commission,” he said.
Despite the leadership transition, Vandiver said multiple road projects are already underway, including Lakewood Drive widening and the upcoming widening of Jeff Road.
He also pointed to $5.5 million secured by U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) to begin engineering work on Old Monrovia Road, along with additional intersection improvements funded by the county.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff going,” Vandiver said. “We’re ready to move forward. We’re ready to get things done as quick as we can. It’s just we’ve got to have the people in place to get that done.”
Governor Ivey has not announced when she will name McCutcheon’s successor.
