Meet the Candidates: Warren County Board of Supervisors — District 1 Republican Edward Herring

Published 7:20 pm Friday, August 2, 2019

Editor’s note: The responses to the questions posed to each of the candidates vying for nominations in their party primaries were provided by the candidates. The responses have not been edited. We appreciate the candidates for taking the time to participate in this survey and providing their responses in a timely fashion.

Edward Herring

• Hometown and how long you have lived in Warren County. If you’re a lifelong resident of Warren County please include that.

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I am a lifelong resident of Warren County. Apart from time serving at various duty stations with the U.S Army I have resided in Vicksburg and Warren County.

  Highest education level achieved and/or technical certification. Also include any degrees earned and institutions where those degrees and/or certifications were earned.

Vicksburg High School, Mississippi College School of Business, Harvard Business Leadership Transformation. Other Certifications include: Six Sigma Green Belt, Management System and Operating Control, LEAN Six Sigma, AGILE Concepts, Anti-Trust, ARCOM US ARMY and various other corporate level trainings

  In your opinion, what is the number one issue facing your district? Why do you believe that issue is a top priority?

Priority issue for my district is roads, bridges, roadsides and the overabundance of trash. Deteriorated road surface conditions, washouts, trees, and the lack of visible lines pose a significant risk to residents in our area. Potholes bounce cars into oncoming traffic, washouts make their way right up to the pavement, trees overtake roads and no reflective lines increases the danger for night time drivers. We have true safety concerns with our roads!

  As supervisor, what have you done to address issues in your district? If running for office, what would you do as supervisor to address those issues?

I would dive into our County Operating Budget to find room for improvement. One of the main fallback reasons as to why our roads are deteriorating is due to budget. However, I believe that there are opportunities to cut wasted monies, increase productivity of crews and projects, and set accountability and best practices for those who bid on county projects. We owe it to the taxpayers to look for ways to repurpose funds for projects instead of turning our attention to raising taxes. We should be as conscience and productive as possible and true stewards of the tax payer’s dollar. 

  As a whole how would you grade the current Board of Supervisors’ performance? Be specific as to those things you believe the board has done well and those things that could have been done better. If you’re running for office, please grade the current board overall and be specific in those areas they have done well at, or need to do a better job.

The overall grade I give is a “C.” Just Average. The board has done its job in handling everyday issues. The board has not done so well in working with other department heads and directors, city officials, state representatives and the taxpayer. The annual budget is just rolled over annually and without efforts to reduce cost. They will not entertain a proposal by Justice Court to institute a community service program for trash mitigation. The fact that there is no clear maintenance plan for county buildings and the lack of updated signage speaks to the complacent attitude toward growth and pride.

  As a county overall, what do you believe the biggest challenge facing the county will be over the next four years and what do you believe you can do to meet those challenges if you are elected or re-elected?

The biggest challenges are the continued decline in resident population, stale growth in higher paying jobs and the annual budget. I believe we can work together as local leaders with developers and even reach out to successful communities to surface ideas to stimulate housing and economic growth. A closer relationship with the city, commissions and our Economic Development Director could foster a plan to attract corporate investments here. As the budget is set and adjusted we must remember every dollar has a taxpayer’s name attached. By reevaluating taxes, controlling cost, expecting better productivity, we can lead Warren County forward.