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In the discussion leading up to the Coffee County Commission’s appointment of the seat left empty following the death of Commissioner Benny Jones, loyalty and family dominated much of conversation at the January meeting.

The commission eventually chose Benny Jones’ daughter, Holly Jones, for the District 1 seat in a 13-4 vote that favored Jones over her fellow applicant Helen DeBellis.

Jones said that her father’s constituents wanted a change when voting for him. She feels that she would approach every situation with no bias, be prepared and do the very best job.

The commission voted for Jones with the majority vote, while the Manchester-centered commissioners Jimmy Hollandsworth, Claude Morse, Joey Hobbs and rural district commissioner Tim Brown voted for DeBellis.

Brown voiced loyalty for the absent DeBellis, who was away on travel, for her consistent vote to appoint Brown to fill a vacancy when a then-District 8 seat was opened in 2019. Brown eventually lost the appointment to Jeff Keele, who did not seek reelection this term. Brown ran unopposed for the new District 4 with Joseph Hodge also representing the district.

“Loyalty is one of the biggest things we can have today. Being loyal, I have to vote for Helen,” Brown said.

Former Coffee County Republican Party president and candidate advisor Sally Singles spoke in support of DeBellis.

“Several years ago I asked Helen to run for county commissioner because of her extensive work background and involvement in the community,” Singles said.

Singles explained that DeBellis was not at the meeting because it was too late to cancel the trip she had planned prior to Jones’ passing.

“Helen has been in contact with several of us while she has been away, still caring about her district and the people she so passionately represented for the last four years,” Singles said.

Singles said, citing a similar situation with the city when the Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman did not appoint the runner-up candidate, that unnamed candidate felt it unfair that a person that not campaigned be given the seat.

“Helen was the third-largest vote getter during the primary, when Mr. Jones won,” Singles said, noting that 157 in that district voted for DeBellis.

Manchester City School Board Member Susan Parsley, wife of Manchester Alderman Donny Parsley, spoke in support of Jones for the seat.

“I was a big supporter of Benny Jones. I helped campaign for him. He was a super good man helped work on other campaigns… He’s been friends with my husband and they went to high school together. His family is like my family,” Parsley said. “I hope that everyone will vote to put his family member in.”

One potential snag that immerged in the appointment in the process is that Jones is a federal employee and under the Hatch Act cannot run in a partisan race. But she can, according to the judge advocate general opinion, be appointed to the position.

At the meeting, retired Officer, Retired Manager of Public Affairs & Marketing for support contractor at AEDC, Commissioner Morse noted that she will not be able to run in 2024 when Jones’ term is up. She responded that life if full of uncertainty.

“You may not continue on the path that you have set out on… I don’t know where I’m going to be even next month, but as far as the election in ’24, I respectfully like to cross that bridge when I come to it,” Jones said.  

Earlier in the meeting, Jones said that her father’s constituents wanted a change when voting for him. She feels that she would approach every situation with no bias, be prepared and do the very best job.   Jones’ mother Dowe was nominated and later withdrew from consideration for the seat.

“The voters of District 1 wanted a Jones in that seat,” she said in a passionate endorsement of her daughter. “To preserve that right, I filed my paperwork, but it has always been our family desire that our daughter be appointed to her daddy’s seat and be able to serve in that capacity.”

Dowe said that the family is proud of the 390 votes her husband received during the General Election in August.

“He loved this county…and wanted to do good things for the county. He was looking forward to working with each and every one of you,” she said.

“We want to take up his cause,” Dowe said. “(Holly) is full-well willing, able and legally responsible to fill that position.”