NEWTON COUNTY—The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted on Jan. 6 to appoint District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long as vice chair for the 2026 calendar year.
Per the county’s adopted rules for the conduct of business, in Section 1-104, the duties of the vice chair are described as to fill in as the chair when the chair is absent. When acting as chair, the vice chair does not assume the chair’s authority to vote in the event of a tie. They gain no additional authority beyond that of a regular commissioner, but are looked to lead meetings and conduct Robert’s Rules of Order.
The 2025 vice chair was District 2 Commissioner Demond Mason, who filled in for Interim Chairman Linda Hays at multiple meetings. He also represented the county at events, often speaking in his capacity as vice chair.
Since the suspension of elected chairman Marcello Banes, the role of the vice chair has been leaned on heavily in recent years. During Banes’s initial suspension in late 2024, the vice chair—who at the time was District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards—led meetings and fulfilled some chair duties.
The commissioners typically assume the vice chair role in a categorical manner, with the seat moving from the District 1 representative to the District 2 representative and so on, in numerical order.
With the vice chair role being held by the District 2 commissioner last year, Interim District 3 Commissioner Andre Cooper was the next in line for the role. However, this year’s nomination skipped ahead, placing Long in a role that she may not have expected to hold until 2028.
Long’s unexpected appointment stemmed from Cooper passing on the vice chair role, citing time commitments with his day job.
“After further consideration and talking with my current job, I don’t have the flexibility in case we have to have daytime meetings and things of that nature and you’re [Chairman Hays] absent,” Cooper said. “I wouldn’t have that flexibility to accept the role of the vice.”
District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson spoke against Cooper’s decline of the seat, asking if a commissioner is allowed to pass on the role. He cited a conversation that was had when former District 3 Commissioner Alana Sanders was elected and was asked to assume the role of vice chair.
“There was a discussion, but the bottom line was that that was part of the job that you do, is being part of vice chair,” Henderson said. “I don’t believe you can just pass it on to somebody else, it’s something you have to do.”
In January 2021, then-freshman commissioner Sanders was appointed to serve as vice chair in a narrow 3-2 vote. The opposing commissioners cited Sanders' newness to the board, but her appointment was supported by Henderson.
Then-County Attorney Megan Martin advised the commissioners not to diverge from the clear numerical order they had established for the position. According to previous reporting by The Covington News, Martin’s advice was followed by a motion for Sanders’ approval as vice chair.
However, Stephanie Johnson, the county attorney present at the Jan. 6 meeting, raised no such qualms with passing over Cooper this go-around. Rather, Executive Assistant LaTonja Threets-Hamp read the county’s vice chair ordinances into the records and found no rules requiring sequential appointments.
With Cooper’s request to pass seemingly acceptable, eyes looked to Henderson, who would appear next in line for the vice chairmanship. But Henderson said he wanted to pass as well.
“I’m under the same as Commissioner Cooper,” Henderson said. “And this is—if I choose to—is an election year for me. And I can't see myself trying to do two jobs in an election year.”
Henderson recommended that the board pass the role along to Long, who accepted the nomination. She was elected without further deliberation in a unanimous vote.
