Monday Meeting Last for Two Lafayette County Supervisors

Supervisors Jeff Busby and Kevin Frye sat on the board for their last meeting as supervisors Monday. They were presented with framed certificates of appreciation for their service. From left, Supervisor David Rikard, Busby, Frye, Supervisor Chad McLarty and Supervisor Mike Roberts.
Photo by Alyssa Schnugg

By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

For the last time, Lafayette County Supervisors Jeff Busby and Kevin Frye served their districts and sat with their fellow supervisors during the board’s regular bi-monthly meeting on Monday.

Busby will still be serving Lafayette County residents, but this time as Circuit Court Clerk.

The outgoing District 2 supervisor has served two terms on the board and was president for most of that time. He announced earlier this year he would not be seeking re-election as a supervisor and instead qualified to run for the Circuit Court Clerk seat, opened up when current Clerk Baretta Mosley announced her retirement.

He won the election after the August primaries earning 80 percent of the vote against Karen Curtis Borden.

Keeping things lighthearted, Busby made the motion Monday to accept his resignation. Supervisors Chad McLarty voted “Nay” while smiling at Busby. The board then appointed Busby as Circuit Court Clerk.

“We’ve got two leaving the board and I don’t know how happy they are about it but not all of us are,” said current Board President and Supervisor Mike Robert. “We appreciate their service.”

Both men were presented with framed certificates of appreciation.

The mood turned to a more somber note when Busby addressed the board, members of the community and county staff members who attended the meeting.

“It’s been a pleasure to serve these last eight years,” Busby said. “It’s not just been a job. It’s been friendships made. It’s kind of an emotional time. Three of us got on this board together eight years ago. They haven’t just become friends, they’ve become my brothers. The whole board has. There’s been some very specials times and some very trying times  but at the end of the day, we respected each other and served the community the best we knew how.”

Frye has served one four-year term. He also chose to not seek re-election and ran unsuccessfully for the District 9 Senate seat against Nicole Atkins Boyd.

Frye kept his goodbye speech short and to the point.

“We’ve accomplished a lot,” he said. “It’s been nice. It’s been a good four years.”

The board also accepted the resignation of Mosley as Circuit Court Clerk; John Hill as interim sheriff and Jody Mayfield as Constable.

Mayfield won the election in November; however, due to personal reasons, he decided to resign at the end of the year. The Board of Supervisors will appoint an interim constable in January until the election in 2020.

The board also appointed Joey East as Lafayette County sheriff effective Jan. 6. East won the election in November. Hill served as interim sheriff after the death of long-time sheriff – and East’s father, F.D. “Buddy” East in September 2018. Hill did not run in the election.

All newly elected officials will be sworn into office in early January.