Jordan Malone

Environment / Energy Bedford County needs to unify the water infrastructure and ensure that the actual capacity needed can be used to provide water to everyone. The water needs to be clean and regularly tested. We need to expand the availability of water to every resident, even in the furthest parts of the county. If local water companies aren’t providing reasonable service or overcharging residents, the county needs to step in and take this over because water is literally the most basic thing we can provide for the condition of life. Housing Review and explore additional development standards and accountability for new developments. Economy Expand the definition of horse-based tourism by creating a culture where all types of horse owners have opportunities to travel to our county and within our county by creating special trails for horse riding with new small vacation rental units designed for families with horses. Infrastructure / Transportation Create a county-wide network of recreation around the river and begin building The Duck River Trails that winds through the entire county. Healthcare Women’s healthcare, family planning, pregnancy resources, diverse delivery options, and postpartum support needs to exist here in the county for our residents. Environment / Energy Preserve the rural character and farmland by making sure the government focuses on our agriculture sector and has positions in government specifically designed for coordinating and supporting our farms. Taxes / Budget Information that is public isn’t necessarily accessible or understandable. There’s no excuse for citizens to have to chase down departments and do math to figure out how their tax dollars are being spent. The government should regularly provide easy-to-understand updates and explanations about the way tax dollars are spent on infrastructure and who gets contracts with the county and why. The government works for the people, and leaders forget that. Environment / Energy Create accessible recreation for seniors and residents with disabilities including mobility device use. We can have areas with rentals for adapted bike models for our residents without access. Everyone should be able to enjoy the outdoors and get exerciseFamily-friendly events focusing on opportunities for kids and teens year-round. Wages / Job Benefits Coordinate with our major employers such as Tyson to bring employer-backed childcare to our workforce. Housing The county should provide opportunities for local residents to buy their first homes. Taxes / Budget Developers have to pay to play. We need to change the way we look at who we let take our land and profit from it, and we need to use every tool at our disposal to hold developers accountable for updating infrastructure and the longer-term impacts of usage. We don’t need to keep letting folks come in, plop entire subdivisions down, and get out of town with their dollars while we foot the bill with dollars and our health. We know what impacts come with each new house. Developers need to pay for it, not current residents. Infrastructure / Transportation A list of priority areas needs to be created with public input so safety and travel needs are prioritized based on actual feedback from residents. We have too many areas in the county with roads that are too narrow, lacking proper safety reflectors and paint, and seemingly no regulation on where dump trucks and construction equipment can travel. The cost of repair and upkeep is not an excuse- roads are the basic infrastructure the government is responsible for. Nothing happens in a county without the roads. They have to be prioritized and maintained according to use and public feedback. No more bandage patches on potholes that collapse immediately. We can do better. Roads are needed for the condition of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Education Childcare partnership models until every child has a seat in care that isn’t home or school. Environment / Energy Brand Bedford County as “The Heart of the Duck River” and promote stewardship of the water and ecosystem as part of our unified value system. Education Pilot programs to expand childcare provided in existing buildings while we gather what the true need is for our county. Housing Create “local-first” job opportunities and housing for working residents.