By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Guntersville finally has a mayor. The Alabama Supreme Court unanimously declared challenger Bob Hembree the winner Friday. Guntersville's mayoral race has been in dispute since August 2004. Incumbent Mayor James Townson originally led the balloting by one vote. Since then, the issue traveled through the court system until the Supreme Court threw out 30 absentee ballots Townson received. The justices said the absentee voters did not submit proper identification with their ballots.