By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
Tanner native and Limestone County District 3 Commissioner Derrick Gatlin essentially got into public service as a teenager. The 1990 Tanner High School grad joined the Tanner Volunteer Fire Department when he was 18, and is still at it. “There was a man at the fire department by the name of Gilbert Crutchfield who survived Pearl Harbor, one of only two in Limestone County. He took me under his wing, taught me about firefighting, and instilled the importance of public service into me,” Derrick told me. At that time, firefighting was largely separated from EMT work. However, when State Senator Tom Butler’s life was saved by a Madison firefighter who knew how to use an AED machine, that began to change. Now firefighters get more extensive training to help in any emergency situation. Derrick also spent time in Montgomery lobbying for the needs of firefighters, and added, “I love to serve my fellow man.” That’s his “why,” and what drove him to seek election to the District 3 seat when Jason Black ran for the Alabama State House.
Running for the District 3 seat was a tough decision for Derrick, not because of the work, but because of having to leave a longtime steady job that is a bit unusual—making commercial ice cream! He told me about all of the ins and outs of making ice cream for restaurants. “All the regulations, being able to trace everything, accountability, cleanliness, it is way different than making ice cream in your back yard,” he said. At last he “pulled the trigger” and went to the courthouse to qualify as a candidate, got elected in 2022, and is still able to firmly say, “I enjoy working with the Commission.” He is also quick to note that he is thankful for the nearly 400 people who work for Limestone County. “What makes it work is county employees working together,” said Derrick.
There are several unique features that are part of District 3. It is the only district that directly deals with Morgan County, Lauderdale County, Madison County, along with the cities of Athens, Madison, Decatur and Huntsville. No other district has more property annexed by other entities. There is also Pryor Field, the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, along with the highly utilized Nuclear Plant Road, Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road and Mooresville Road. “It is so different from when I was a kid,” said Derrick, who told me that he used to cruise the Square as a teenager and that the only bridge between Morgan County and Limestone County was a draw bridge that caused traffic to be backed up almost all the way to Calhoun Community College.
As is the concern of other Limestone County commissioners, Derrick wants to be a good steward of the taxpayer’s dollars, and he knows that a large part of his job is to listen to people. As a firefighter, he keeps a radio in his truck and goes to incident scenes as much as he can to offer assistance as well as speak with people who were present at the scene. Derrick’s desire is to see what caused the accident from the perspective of those involved in order to determine if there is any way the area can be improved to ensure fewer accidents.
Derrick has a solid full-time crew with close to 45 years of combined experience in District 3. He also has two retired guys who work part-time to help with trash pickup. They are:
- Jimmy Gatlin- 30 years (no relation)
- Hunter Gatlin- 7 years (no relation)
- Travis Austiell-7 years
- Nathan Head- 8 months
His two part time guys are Leroy Gatlin (no relation) and Jim Williamson.
Being a Limestone County Commissioner means being more than a “road guy,” although that is a large part of the job. There is a county school system, they are in charge of the Sheriff’s Department, as well as animal control. One of the top concerns right now is building a new animal shelter, in addition to improving roads and schools. In District 3, there is talk of building a zoo as well as a new hospital, but nothing has been decided as of yet.
If Derrick could have a “dream project,” it would be to build a by-pass traffic loop around the county to ease traffic flow. More than anything, public safety is top-of-mind with him, especially as a firefighter and in everything he does, he wants to make the right decisions for the citizens as well as the county. Finally, Derrick along with the rest of the Commission is hoping that everyone will have a Happy Thanksgiving!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
