Benefield Announces For Re-Election In 9th District
Ronald Benefield, life-long resident of Lawrence 
County, announces he is seeking re-election to the post of County Commissioner in the ninth district, consisting of the Ethridge and Mars Hill voting precincts.
Benefield and his wife, Cindy, live in the Ethridge community where Ronnie is a self-employed farmer. In making his announcement, Ronnie says he would like to thank the people of the ninth district for allowing him to serve them for the past sixteen years. “It has been an honor and a privilege to represent you and I hope I have not disappointed you.”
In March 2003, with 115 hours to his credit, Benefield became the county’s first and only commissioner to graduate from the University of Tennessee’s Certified Public Administrator program. The program is intended to promote increased efficiency of county government through professional development. Graduates of the program must take a minimum of 16 hours additional training per fiscal year to retain their certification.
“ I think Lawrence County has moved forward in the past sixteen years and has accomplished much making it more attractive to industry and new growth. With the completion of the new jail and workhouse, we are much closer to expanding the work release program to include a “prisoner co-pay system”. It is my belief prisoners should not simply be “housed” but should make an effort to reimburse the victims of their crimes as well as the county for their upkeep. I want to see continued improvements in our roads, and I have a plan, which if put in place, would increase revenues to the Highway Department without increasing the burden on county taxpayers. Our needs are ever increasing in our schools, law enforcement, and emergency services such as fire and rescue and the ambulance service. I want to see clean water provided to all rural areas in Lawrence County. I want to see more industry brought into the county to provide a decent living for our people, while at the same time, one of our greatest industries, tourism, needs further development. At the same time I want to see all of these things, I am realistic enough to know that everything cannot be done at once. The next four years will be tough ones due to many issues facing our nation, state and county. We must prioritize our resources and work together to develop a plan of future growth without putting the working taxpayer of Lawrence County in jeopardy by over taxation.”
“I feel my experience on the commission, the government training I have taken and my life experience as a veteran, self-employed farmer and family man give me a solid foundation to represent the ninth district as well as ALL of the people of Lawrence County in an efficient and effective manner. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for the faith you have shown in me for the past sixteen years and ask for your vote in the upcoming general election on August 5th or during early voting being held between July 16 and July 31, 2010. If you have any questions or comments concerning county government, please feel free to call me at 829-2358. Your opinions are always welcomed, fore I am the people’s commissioner.”
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