“Bittersweet.” Harris County Commissioner won’t seek re-election after 20 years in office
When the qualifying period for local candidates to be on the May 19 ballot ended Friday, a notable Harris County name was absent.
Harry Lange, in his 20th year on the Harris County Commission, isn’t seeking re-election.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer. “There are large parts that I love doing, and I’m going to truly miss that. I’m going to miss the people I work with and being able to work not only on the local level but also on the state level to try and help the citizens. But 20 years — I’m going to be 80 years old by the end of my term this year — so 20 years of service and 80 years of age, that’s 100, and that sounds like a good number to stop on.”
Lange represents District 4 (Cataula) on the five-member commission, all Republicans. When his four-year term ends at the end of 2020, the seat will be filled by one of these four candidates, also all Republicans:
- Bob Allen, retired
- Tom Carr, school resource officer
- Richie Grantham, owner of Sunshine Banners & Signs
- Bobby Irions, network engineer
Lange doesn’t expect to endorse any of them.
“Probably not,” he said. “Right or wrong, I have felt all along that, if I endorse a candidate, it could be good or bad. … I may be doing something behind the scenes. That’s certainly a possibility.”
Reflecting on his two decades as a commissioner, Lange said he is most proud of the steady way the county has managed growth. It has developed enough to generate more revenue and provide more services while still keeping the rural lifestyle that residents cherish.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Harris County’s population at 23,797 in 2000. The 2018 estimate was 34,475.
“Harris County has done so well and has done an awful lot of good things,” Lange said. “I believe we’ve moved in a good direction.”
He listed the following improvements the county has made since he has been on the commission:
- Northwest Harris Business Park has five Kia suppliers and a Wow branch for fiber optic cable.
- A smaller business park in Hamilton has portable buildings manufacturer Sturdi. Agreements are signed to add metal fabricator Hart Steel and T&T Construction, Lange said.
- New community center.
- New library.
- Turned abandoned railroad line into a walking and biking trail, with three of the 21 miles paved.
- Pate Park opened and getting ready to open a park in Ellerslie.
“I think Harris County is financially sound,” Lange said. “It has an excellent county manager (Randall Dowling) now with a lot of years of experience. As we look at areas to grow, he’s good at putting us in touch.”
Lange is the commission’s longest-serving member for at least the past 30 years, according to county records. He chaired the commission for 12 years (2005 and 2008-18). Last year, he served as president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said. “I was humbled by the selection. It gave me an opportunity to see an awful lot and hear a lot more than a regular commissioner would have.”
Lange and his wife, Dottie, moved to Harris County in the early 1990s after he retired from Coca-Cola as senior purchasing manager and started working for Char-Broil in Columbus.
“I could leave my house and sit at my desk in 10 or 15 minutes,” he said. “… Then I could come home from work and take my tie off and pick up a fishing rod and go right down to the dock. It’s just a wonderful place to live.”
Lange left Char-Broil in 1993 to manage contracts for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. After the 1996 Olympics, he started an at-home business, the Lange Companies, a chemicals broker for beverage and snack producers, which closed in 2005.
He also serves on the county’s library and water boards and the River Valley Regional Commission. Although he won’t be on the county commission after this year, Lange plans to still find ways to contribute to the community.
“I certainly won’t be someone who goes into hibernation,” he said.
