By Bayne Hughes Staff Writer | 0 comments Former city councilman Butch Matthews said Bill Dukes was so popular in Decatur he could have remained mayor as long as he wanted. “The people would elect him to whatever post he wanted,” Matthews said. Dukes, a former state representative and five-term Decatur mayor, died early Thursday. Dukes, 87, died just after 4 a.m. at his Southeast Decatur home after a three-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, family spokesman Steve Garner said. Visitation is 5-8 p.m. today at Roselawn Funeral Home. Funeral service starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery. Dukes’ career was highlighted by 18 years as mayor and 16 years as a state representative. “He loved the city of Decatur,” longtime assistant Dot Montgomery said. And people loved Dukes. Garner, a former Dukes’ campaign adviser, said residents were always telling Dukes they wish he were still mayor. “They just loved Bill Dukes so much,” Garner said. The affable Dukes had a way that made him charismatic, said Gary Voketz, a former city planner and community development director. “He was a real politician,” Voketz said. “People would go into his office, and no matter what they wanted, they would come out happy or satisfied with the outcome, even though they didn’t get what they wanted.” State Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, said Dukes was “one of the finest and most honest men” he ever met. A Kentucky native, Dukes moved to Decatur in 1957 to work at Chemstrand (now Ascend). Elected in 1968, Dukes’ first political office was on the Decatur City Commission. This commission approved the Point Mallard Aquatic Center. In 1971, he resigned in the middle of his term to become city purchasing director and administrative assistant to the mayor. Dukes worked for two mayors before deciding he wanted to be mayor in 1975. He resigned to run against his boss, Russell Bolding, and was elected mayor in 1976 with 65 percent of the vote in the runoff. “I don’t think the vote was about Russell Bolding,” Montgomery said. “They just loved Bill Dukes so much.” With that election, Dukes finally found the job fit for him. Four years later, he became the first Decatur mayor to be re-elected in 54 years. It became a trend that wouldn’t stop until he ran for a different office — the state House — and won that election, too. Matthews said Dukes sincerely cared about people. Once during a rainy drive from a conference in Huntsville, he said Dukes insisted on stopping to pick up a man walking along the highway. “I just knew we were going to get robbed,” Matthews said. “But Bill Dukes knew everybody. He never met a stranger.” Montgomery said Dukes had a true open-door policy. He told his staff to put anyone who wanted to talk to him on his schedule — no matter who it was. “That definitely made it easier on me,” Montgomery said. Matthew said Dukes’ leadership was most evident when racial violence erupted in May 1979 after Tommy Lee Hines, a mentally handicapped black man, was convicted of raping three white women. A fight between the KKK and black protesters brought the Alabama National Guard and the three national television networks to the city. Montgomery said Dukes was in tears as he watched a tank roll into downtown Decatur. “I heard him say, ‘I never thought I would see this in Decatur,’ ” she said. Matthews said the Hines controversy reminded him of the Ferguson, Missouri, violent protests in August. The difference, he said, is Dukes “showed leadership that wasn’t shown in Ferguson. He didn’t point fingers or put up with any treachery. He was patient and understanding.” Current Mayor Don Kyle said Dukes was great at getting a consensus during a controversy and calming the involved parties. “He always wanted to bring people together,” Kyle said. “He was always looking for the positive outcome, and sometimes they didn’t even notice that was what he was doing.” Dukes was mayor during a time of urban renewal. Decatur saw great growth during his tenure as the population grew from 38,044 to 49,811 in 1990. Lynn Fowler, mayor from 2000-04 and a member of the Morgan County Economic Development Association, said one of Dukes’ top accomplishments was getting the mayors of six other municipalities and the Morgan County Commission to cooperate to build the Mallard-Fox Creek Industrial Park. Each had to be willing to contribute an $8 million bond that funded the project, he said. Other accomplishments under Dukes include the Vine Street redevelopment project, building Wilson Morgan Park, saving the Old State Bank Building and buying the Princess Theatre for the Performing Arts. Dukes resigned as mayor in 1994 after winning a spot in the state House of Representatives. The resignation was one some said he later regretted. He considered running for mayor again in 1998. Garner said Dukes missed daily interaction with citizens and involvement in the many city projects he had as mayor. Dukes served as a Democrat for four terms as a representative. Garner said Dukes was considered one of the Legislature’s most conservative Democrats. Hammon said Dukes was the House’s source of information on municipal government issues. “His touch is on almost every municipal government bill passed during his tenure,” Hammon said. Hammon said Dukes got the Tennessee Valley Authority in-lieu-of-tax revenues redirected from south Alabama to north Alabama, “where they should have been going in the first place.” He said Dukes also had a big influence on local legislation that brought several industries to the Decatur area. Dukes is survived by his wife, Juanita; four children, Ronnie Dukes, Jeff Dukes, Sandra Barrett and Pam Pike; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Bayne Hughes can be reached at 256-340-2432 or hughes@decaturdaily. Follow on Twitter @DD_BayneHughes. Time line of Bill Dukes Feb. 26, 1927 — Born in Bevier, Kentucky 1945-47 — Serves in the U.S. Army Dec. 27, 1947 — Marries the former Juanita Wiloughby 1957 — Moves to Decatur to begin work at Chemstrand Corp. (now Ascend Materials) 1968 — Elected to Decatur City Commission and helps approve Point Mallard Aquatic Center 1971 — Resigns from the City Commission to become purchasing director and administrative assistant to the mayor 1975 — Resigns as a city employee to run for mayor 1976-1994 — Elected Decatur mayor five times 1978 — Beltline Mall (now Decatur Mall) opens 1978 — General Electric opens a refrigerator manufacturing plant 1980 — City acquires Princess Theater 1985 — Development of Mallard-Fox Creek Industrial Park begins 1988 — HISPAN (now HEXCEL) is the first new industry to locate at Mallard-Fox park 1991 — Town of Flint City votes to merge with Decatur 1993 — Daikin America Inc. locates in Decatur 1993 — Gail Montgomery Baseball Complex built 1994 — The first phase of Decatur Riverwalk is funded 1994-2010 — Elected four times and serves 16 years in the state House of Representatives Dec. 18, 2014 — Dies at the age of 87 Bayne Hughes
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 07:01:22 +0000
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