Acting Sheriff John Ball
Undersheriff John Ball

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 Allen Riley resigned 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,” said Madison County Democratic Committee Chairman Mike Oot. “However, we are happy to be able to nominate Undersheriff John 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.

“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 Madison County Sheriff to ensure a smooth transition.”

Ball’s lengthy public service record spans 35 years, including active duty with the United States Navy, 18 years of local government service in Onondaga County, and overseeing multiple Homeland Security-related programs and initiatives in the Central New York Urban Area Security Initiative.

As undersheriff, he oversaw 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 Supervisors 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 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 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.

By martha

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