Democrats nominate John Ball for sheriff

Undersheriff has been standing in since Sheriff Allen Riley’s resignation

Two days after the Madison County Republican Committee endorsed Todd Hood as the GOP candidate for Madison County Sheriff, their counterparts revealed the Democratic endorsee for the race for the county’s highest ranking law enforcement official.

The Madison County Democratic Committee has endorsed Undersheriff John Ball as its candidate for the office of Madison County Sheriff in this fall’s election.

Former Sheriff Al Riley resigned on June 21 to accept Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s appointment to the New York State Commission on Corrections.

“Sheriff Riley has done an outstanding job for the past seven years, and we are sorry to lose him. However, we are happy to be able to nominate Undersheriff Ball as a candidate. He was handpicked by Sheriff Riley to serve as undersheriff, and he has Sheriff Riley’s full confidence and trust in his ability to serve,” Madison County Democratic Committee Chair Mike Oot said. “Undersheriff Ball is prepared to support and build on the innovative initiatives begun by Sheriff Riley, and is already performing all of the duties of the office of county sheriff to ensure a smooth transition.”

Ball’s lengthy public service record spans 35 years, includ- ing active duty with the United States Navy. During active duty he was stationed aboard a guided missile cruiser that saw action in Grenada, Beirut, Lebanon and the bombing of Libya in 1985. He received a Navy Achievement Medal for his services.

Following his military career, Ball’s resume includes 18 years of local government service in Onondaga County, and overseeing multiple Homeland Security-

rity-related programs and initiatives in the Central New York Urban Area Security Initiative.

As undersheriff, he oversees day-to-day operations of the agency, including the correctional facility, criminal division, road patrol, civil division, traffic safety coordinator, and the STOP DWI program. The Madison County Board of Su- pervisors recognized Ball for his service in the aftermath of the tornado that struck the Town of Smithfield in 2014.

Ball has worked for five years on the application for accreditation by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice and is committed to completion of this application. Such accreditation asks that standards be met in every aspect of the work of the sheriff’s office. Working with Sheriff Riley, Ball has seen the addition of 20 new uniformed positions to the department.

In addition, he has served on the committees of various school and local community organizations, including as a member of the board of directors of BRiDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and the Madison County Community Action Partnership.

DISPATCH FILE PHOTO In this file photo, John Ball, center with his arm in the air, is sworn in as Madison County Under Sheriff by Sheriff Allen Riley on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010in Wampsville. Looking on is Ball’s wife Kelly and two daughters Amanda and Laura.