06/18/2026
One of the most important responsibilities of a county mayor is being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Throughout my life, both personally and professionally, I have taken budgeting, financial responsibility, and accountability very seriously. I am in favor of saving and then spending money rather than borrowing and paying interest—especially for capital projects.
At home, my wife Michele and I have always lived by a budget. Neither of us came from wealthy households, and we understand hard work and the value of a dollar. We regularly review our finances to make sure we are meeting our goals—whether that involves savings, investments, home improvements, vacations, charitable giving, or paying our bills. We believe in living within our means, bringing in more than we spend, and paying off debt as quickly as possible. Other than housing, we are debt free. When we purchase a vehicle or make home improvements, we save first. Our goal is to enter retirement completely free of debt, and we are on our way to accomplishing that.
I’ve spent much of my life managing budgets, leading teams, and bringing people together to get things done—from the classroom to community organizations to county government. I understand how to balance priorities, make thoughtful decisions, and be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Professionally and in public service, I have been entrusted with financial responsibilities at many different levels. Spreadsheets are a big part of my life.
As President of the Henry County Historical Society, I develop programs, oversee budgeting, raise funds, and manage deposits and expenditures. Under my leadership, the organization maintains a healthy balance of over $15,000. (That’s pretty good for a small organization!) One of the projects I am most proud of was personally raising thousands of dollars to restore the City of Paris’ first new fire engine—a 1927 American LaFrance. Through careful budgeting, fundraising, donations, collaboration with experts in the field, volunteer labor, and responsible spending, we completed a restoration that would normally cost around $250,000 for roughly $50,000.
I have also twice served as Chairman of the Paris-Henry County Heritage Center Board of Trustees. In that role, I developed and helped oversee an annual operating budget of approximately $50,000 while working closely with the museum director to ensure responsible financial management.
Over the years, I have successfully written grants totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars for nonprofit organizations, volunteer fire departments, and local history preservation efforts. Those grants helped improve services and preserve important parts of our community without placing additional burdens on taxpayers.
As a former board member and vice president of Henry County Helping Hand, and now as an involved citizen, I enjoy being part of our county’s most successful community fundraiser, raising between $350,000 and $500,000 each year. Even during COVID, Henry County proved that we care about our charitable organizations that serve people throughout our community.
As a member of the West Tennessee Healthcare—Henry County Hospital Advisory board, I help monitor responsible budgeting and advocate for capital investment to improve healthcare in our community. Over the past several months, West Tennessee Healthcare has invested over $12 million in technology, equipment, beds, etc., into our hospital with millions more in the pipeline.
As a Certified Public Administrator through the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service, I completed coursework in public finance, including governmental budgeting, fiscal management, revenue generation, debt financing, and long-range financial planning. This training strengthened my ability to analyze financial data, develop responsible budgets, and make sound fiscal decisions in the public sector. As part of my doctoral studies in administration at Union University, I also completed graduate-level coursework in finance, which further strengthened my understanding of budgeting public funds, fiscal responsibility, and organizational leadership.
I have been entrusted to help manage or oversee more than $91 million annually in public, healthcare, and nonprofit funds. In every role I have held, I have approached budgeting with the same principles: accountability, transparency, careful planning, fiscal responsibility, and making sure every dollar is used for the public good.
