Longtime Greene County Commissioner Betty Ruth Alexander has decided not to seek re-election this year to the commission seat she has held since 1986, she said Wednesday in an interview with The Greeneville Sun.

Alexander said she reached her decision Wednesday morning after weeks of consideration, prayer, and consultation with her daughter and a few other friends and advisers.

She said that her health is good, she has good feelings about her service, and she is not being asked or advised to step down from the commission.

In addition, Alexander indicated that she believes that she continues to have the strong support of her constituents.

But, she explained in the interview, she simply feels that it is the right time to complete her service on the commission.

Alexander, a Republican, is not resigning her commission seat. She plans to continue to serve out her full sixth term, which began on Sept. 1, 2006, and officially concludes on Aug. 31, 2010.

County Commission members for 2010-2014 will be elected in the County General Election on Aug. 5, and will take office on Sept. 1 of this year.

Now 78, Alexander was first elected to the County Commission in 1986 to represent the 7th Commission District and has served continuously in that post since then.

The district includes the Highland-Roby, EastView, and Tusculum View voting precincts.

Her 24 years of continuous service make her, along with fellow Commissioner Jerry Weems, the senior members of the current County Commission membership in years of service.

Both were recognized with 24-year certificates last fall by the state County Services Association.

A former chairman of the commission's Education Committee, she currently serves as chairman of the commission's Law Enforcement Committee.

In addition, she is a member of the Animal Control, Road, Personnel Policy, Industrial Park, and Cable committees.

Reflecting Wednesday on her 24 years of service on the commission, Alexander commented that "I have made so many friends ... I just could not believe each time that I ran that so many people were really concerned about what's going on in the county."

She noted that, although she officially represents the 7th District, "It didn't matter whether [Greene Countians who contacted her on an issue] were in my district or not ... just as long as I served the people."

"I truly have enjoyed it," she said.

"I'm sure a lot of times I didn't make the right decision," she added, "but I did the best I could for the people."

Asked what she has considered the highlights of her service on the commission, Alexander said that there were three:

* the renovation of some county schools and the construction of some new schools;

* getting Greene County-Greeneville Emergency Medical Services established and working smoothly; and

* seeing the Sheriff's Department substantially expanded in terms of manpower, and with more and better vehicles and equipment.

Alexander said that, even after she is no longer a member of the County Commission, she expects to remain interested in county government and what the commission is doing.

"I want to see the county go forward and not backward," she emphasized.