By Rebekah Martin

Hartselle Enquirer

Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin announced last week she will not seek re-election for a third term.

Franklin made the announcement in a video message posted on Facebook Feb. 9.

“Today is a difficult day for me and comes only after endless hours of painful, deliberate thought and constant prayer over this decision. I have decided that I will not be seeking a third term as your sheriff,” Franklin said in the video. “I am truly honored and blessed to have been given this opportunity to serve the people of my county. I love Morgan County and the people I work with. I love the office of sheriff and what that office means to the people.”

Franklin was elected in 2010 and said she will serve out the remainder of her term ending next January.

In the video, Franklin reflected on the accomplishments of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department during her tenure, including a reduction in crime rates and meth labs in county, no officers lost in the line of duty and a budget savings of nearly $4 million from the previous administration.

Franklin has seen her share of controversy in her eight years in office. She was found in contempt of court for violating a 2009 federal consent order that prohibits sheriffs from using any leftover food funds for anything but feeding county inmates. Franklin loaned $150,000 in unspent funds to the now-bankrupt Priceville Partners, LLC in 2015. She was fined $1,000 in addition to $5,000 in legal fees and is currently under a federal investigation surrounding her “stewardship of taxpayer money” according the New York Times.

The primary election will be held June 5 with a possible runoff July 17.

Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin