Candidates say education a top concern

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Schools and infrastructure rank as top concerns for candidates seeking election to a District 1 seat on the Bradley County Commission.

Rick Bise and Dennis Epperson, both Republicans, want to fill Seat A, which will be left vacant once Commissioner Terry Caywood finishes his term. Epperson has run a home-building company for 30 years; Bise retired after 30 years of service with Knox County Schools’ Career Technical and Adult Education departments.

District 1, which includes the Hopewell and McDonald communities, encompasses western Bradley County. Its boundaries run along Highway 11 in the south and approach Candies Creek Ridge Road in the north.

“There’s no quick trip to the convenience store anymore,” Bise said of the district’s road congestion, adding it’s also “unacceptable” that some areas within District 1 don’t have access to public water or internet, he said.

School safety is the greatest challenge facing the county, he said. That means the county must provide school buildings with cameras, security doors and other necessary measures.

While keeping the road department adequately funded is at the forefront of his goals if elected, Bise voiced concerns for other county departments.

“The county, as a whole, is growing,” he said. “Any time a community grows, it puts strains on EMS, the fire department and even on the jailhouse.”

Bise said county services need to keep pace with an increasing population by means of industrial revenue growth and not property tax increases.

Both candidates emphasized the need for technical career education in the county school system.

Encouraging students to enter the technical fields if they don’t seek college educations will help the county to both fill jobs in the building sector and tackle future growth, Epperson said.

“There will be a need to continue building homes, meeting demand now and as it continues to increase,” he said.

Meeting county growth also may require building more schools, Epperson said.

Epperson said he sees using available land as the county’s greatest challenge. If elected, he said, he would like the county commission to create some committees to explore development opportunities.

“Most developments happen within the city,” Epperson said. “That needs to start happening in the county.”

Private sector partnerships will be key in keeping the county on track, he said.

Both candidates list endorsements from current members of the Bradley Commission on their Facebook election pages. Bise touts Caywood’s support, while District 4 Commissioner Charlotte Peak has voiced favor for Epperson.

Republican voters will decide who takes District 1, Seat A in the May 1 election. No Democrat seeks the office.

Commissioner Mike Hughes runs unopposed for a second term in the district’s other seat.

Early voting begins April 11. Contact Paul Leach at paul. leach.press@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleach_3.