Effective May 31, longtime Simpson County Chancery Clerk Tommy Joe Harvey will retire from a career of public service.
Harvey said that this has been one of the most difficult decisions he has ever made in his life. He jokingly said he was “going home and sit on the porch with my wife and listen to my hair grow.” Harvey has served the past 18 and a half years as Chancery Clerk of Simpson County.
He said the move was prompted by a lawsuit in which he has been entangled for the past five years on charges of violation of civil rights with regard to a situation where an individual was removed from the court room and sprayed with mace pepper spray. He said his legal bills have run in the neighborhood of $170,000. He said the party had offered to dismiss the case if he would step down.
Harvey thus decided to take an early retirement.
He said the plan is to get the county to appoint Jena Sullivan as interim chancery clerk until the next General Election, already scheduled for November. Sullivan’s interim appointment is contingent on the Board of Supervisors’s approval.
Harvey actually joked about taking up residence at one of his favorite spots, Mims Mitchell Hunting Camp.
County Administrator Rhuel Dickinson said of Harvey that he has done a very professional job over the time he has worked with him. Harvey was very complimentary of his staff and said he has enjoyed his time serving the people of the community. He said that the county will not miss a step with Sullivan acting as interim clerk.
While unofficial at this point, Harvey intends to make a formal resignation at the next Board of Supervisors meeting, which is set for Tuesday, May 16.
