Nearly every other Monday for the past four years, Danny Barskdale has taken his seat on the Limestone County Commission, right next to Chairman Collin Daly, to represent the people of District 2.

“Everyone who sits in these seats works hard to move the county forward in the four years they’ve got,” Daly told The News Courier after Barksdale’s final commission meeting at the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex on Monday, Nov. 4. “Barksdale did that. He thought outside of the box and read those fine print things that kept us on our toes. At the end of the day, Barksdale was always going to be honest and true — which helped us out a lot.”

Barksdale, along with the four other commissioners, has played a pivotal role in getting Limestone County to where it is at today — as the fastest growing county in Alabama for four out of the past five years.

During his four-year term, Barksdale has helped the Commission in the creation of their own solid waste and sanitation department along with their animal care and control facility. The 77-year-old Commissioner chose not to seek re-election in District 2, opening the doorway for a new candidate to fill his seat.

“I’m just getting a little bit on the older side. At the end of another term I would be 81, so I decided it’s time to let somebody else do the job,” Barksdale said. “I believe the 2020-2024 Commission made unprecedented improvements on our roadways. In the last four years we’ve probably averaged paving 30-35 miles of road per year. Instituting the garbage pickup was probably the best thing we’ve done, and that’s been something that’s been pretty good, so I’m just thankful for everybody who gave me the opportunity to be their voice for the last four years.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, District 2 voters picked Republican candidate Johnny Turner to fill the empty seat on the Limestone County Commission. According to unofficial election results, Turner received 9,933 votes from the 9 precincts within the eastern-Limestone district. Turner defeated Democratic candidate Roger G. Williams, who received 4,385 votes.

“I’m going to show up to work, take the people’s phone calls and try to make good decisions for them,” Turner said. “I’m certain there will be times the people who voted for me will disagree with the decisions that I make, but I’m willing to listen to them and hopefully I can explain my position to them so we can all be friends.”

Turner, who spent 12 years working with longtime congressman Mo Brooks, said he was truly humbled to receive nearly 10,000 votes — thanking those that voted for him. He also thanked Barksdale for offering his help to make the transition smoother for the residents of Limestone County.

“Danny was the one who told me I should consider running,” Turner said. “It’s good to get to work with him and stop and talk to him about the things going on. The people had a choice of who to vote for, so I can never thank them enough for showing up to vote for me.”