Six candidates are vying for three two-year terms on the Village of Salado Board of Aldermen for the May 6 general election. They appear on the ballot in this order: D. Jasen Graham, Bert Henry, Linda Reynolds, Rodney W. Bell, Lennox J. Alfred, and Samuel Morris. Cody Coufal withdrew from the race on April 10.
This week, Salado Village Voice introduces the candidates to the voters.
D. Jasen Graham
Family Information: Jasen and his wife Sara have been married for almost 25 years. They have two children, Grace, a senior at Texas A&M University and Davis, a junior at Salado High School.
Education and Professional background: Jasen has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Tarleton State University and a Master of Science in Adult and Continuing Education from Kansas State University. Jasen served in the United States Army until he retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2019. He is a combat veteran and a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star. Since 2019, Jasen has served with the Department of Veterans Affairs as Director of Risk Management for Financial Software Implementation.
Civic, Service and community organizations/involvement: Jasen is President of the Salado Lions Club. Additionally, Jasen serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Salado Museum and College Park, LLC. He is also an active member of the First Baptist Church of Salado. He is currently serving his second year as the chairman of their finance committee. He also serves with the church’s student ministry program as the Sunday school teacher for junior high boys.
Why are you running for Village of Salado Board of Aldermen? I want to see us continue moving forward and building on those areas where we have excelled and improve on those areas which still need some work. We accomplished so much during my first term as an alderman to set conditions for Salado’s future success but there is still so much to be done! Salado is full of talented people with a strong desire to be involved in their community. We need to take a new approach at helping those people identify their passions and plugging them in where their talents can be leveraged to the benefit of the community. There is a lot of opportunity for us to move forward together in a way we can all be proud of that will have lasting effects for years to come and I want to be part of that.
What is your top priority for the Village? Responsible growth is the most important issue facing our Village today. The number of residential developments continues to grow within our footprint. Our essential services need to support a first-class quality of life for the population it serves now and in the future. That means dependable infrastructure, commercial development, public safety and wastewater debt reduction all need to be synchronized lines of effort. This must be done while always keeping in mind Salado’s identity as a Village and preserving that so that it doesn’t end up being just another town along the I-35 corridor.
Bert Henry
Family Information: My wife, Crystal, and I moved to Salado in 2012. We have 5 Children; James (33), Anna (24), Elijah (24) Noah (22) and our youngest son, Ember, is 15 years old. Ember attended Salado Schools until this year. I come from a proud family of Veterans; my father retired from the United States Navy in 1994, I enlisted in the Navy shortly thereafter and I have a son that is currently serving in the Navy.
Education and Professional background: I previously held positions as a Corporate Loss Prevention and Asset Protection Investigator and Auditor with Saks, Inc. and The Navy Exchange Command (NEXCOM), where I played an essential role in those organizations’ ability to operate successfully and ethically. In these positions, I was tasked with Business Continuity Management, a responsibility to ensure that the organization was well prepared in the event of an emergency, disaster, or unexpected interruption of business.
Civic, Service and community organizations/involvement: I am a Member of the Parks Advisory Board. I previously served on the Salado Volunteer Fire Department from November 2014 thru October 2021, where I’ve held the positions of Public Information Officer, President and Vice-President of the SVFD’s Executive Board. Additionally, I was awarded Firefighter of the Year in 2015, 2019 and 2020, and received numerous other awards, certificates, citations and commendations. In 2013, I received the Belton Police Department Chief’s Award.
Why are you running for Village of Salado Board of Aldermen? I am seeking election to the Board of Aldermen for the sole purpose of advocating for the Citizens and Businesses of the Village of Salado. I have dedicated my entire life to the service of others, beginning with my first job as a lifeguard at 16 years old. I have a passion for service. If given the opportunity, I will take the responsibility of communicating with the community and engaging citizens to learn more about their concerns and how the board can best serve them. Through engagement, we can work together to make informed decisions on behalf of all constituents. I would consider the needs of both businesses and residents before making decisions, regarding every aspect of your interests before voting on an issue. Ultimately, it is up to the Board to ensure all aspects of Village life, from roads to parks, economic development to tourism and special events, run efficiently and serve the public’s interest.
What is your top priority for the Village? My top priority, if elected, is the turnover in the Village of Salado Police Department. During my 7-years as a First Responder, I spent countless hours on scenes with our Police Officers. I’ve befriended many of them and they expressed their frustrations. Contrary to the current Administration’s statements on this matter, Pay and Incentives were never a reason given for leaving. Across the board, they felt unappreciated. The lack of recruitment and retention are not pay or incentive issues, they are micro-management issues. They are trust issues. They are issues of feeling undervalued. I’d like to help change their perceptions!
Linda Reynolds
I am younger than both former president Trump, and President Biden.
When I was a young wife and mother, my husband passed away. So I worked to pay off the mortgages on two houses and raise my daughter. Twelve years ago, I retired after teaching for 35 years, and moved to Salado to help my sister care for mom.
No one paid me to move to Salado, and I don’t believe we need to pay ANYONE ELSE to move here to live, or open a business. Developers need to be financially healthy partners, OR we do not need their business in Salado. Financially weak developers only leave disasters in their wake.
Today, I have no debt, except what I owe the IRS this April 18. As a fiscal conservative, I live by my mom’s warning that HASTE MAKES WASTE. Financial decisions should not be made under pressure.
When I watched Skip and Dave, Fred, Frank and Mike agree to borrow millions at 7:00 AM one July 2015 morning, my head spun at the thousands in interest the village would pay before a shovelful of dirt was turned.
All my life, I have believed governments should be transparent, honest, and debt free. Aldermen must not be rushed into financial decisions that affect young families for years into the future.
Residents need to know, when their tax dollars are spent, if Government is working to keep them safe and secure.
Rodney W. Bell
Family information: Bobbette and I have lived in Salado since 2003. Our daughter, Kendall and her husband Adam live in South Carolina, and they have blessed us with two beautiful granddaughters (Chandler-3, and Collins-1).
Education and Professional background: I hold dual Bachelor’s in Business Administration degrees with concentrations on Management and Information Systems from Baylor University. I am a 2001 graduate of the Baylor Executive MBA program. This two year program concentrated on executive management and global strategies.
Currently I serve as Executive Vice-President, Technology Services for First Community Services. We serve the IT needs of First National Bank Texas, First Convenience Bank, First Community Mortgage, and First Heroes National Bank.
Civic, Service and community organizations/involvement:
• Sunday School Teacher, Deacon, & Finance Committee at FBC-Salado.
• 10 Years Trustee for the Salado ISD School Board (2008 – 2018).
• 4 Years Alderman for the Village of Salado (2019 – Present).
• 4 Years Councilman for the City of Mart (1996-2000).
• Past Treasurer and Past President of several boards in Bell County.
Why are you running for Village of Salado Board of Aldermen?
• Four years ago I ran and will continue to run to manage the property taxes paid by the citizens of the Village of Salado. We have been successful during my terms of lowering the I&S(debt) rate each budget year. This strategy has been instrumental in lowering the rate from over 60 cents per $100 property evaluation to under 40 cents today. Maintaining a sound financial strategy while navigating the uncertain economic future is a strength I bring to this board.
• Engage critical thought process into complex problems facing the village.
What is your top priority for the Village?
• Continue Financial policy that addresses the village tax rate.
• Align financial policy that maximizes village services that have to be maintained.
• Continue allocation of funds from growth to offset bond payments on sewer system.
Lennox J. Alfred
Family information: Lennox J. Alfred is a native of Trinidad & Tobago and in 2004 married to his soul mate and best friend Darlene, together they have three adult children and ten grandchildren. They enjoy family dinners, annual family trips and celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas as a family with fun filled events, activities, volunteer opportunities and more.
Education and Professional background: Lennox is a retired United States Army veteran with 20 years of service as a decorated veteran. While in the military he pursued and earned his degree from the University of Maryland graduating with a BS in Business Management. Along with his wife he has successfully owned and managed two companies, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate and Longhorn Properties Property Management & Sales. They still own and operate the latter, Longhorn Properties, as a team.
Civic, Service and community organizations/involvement: Lennox is a past chair of the P&Z Board of Adjustments for the City of Killeen. Lennox and Darlene have both been active in the church for years serving on various local, District, Conference and Jurisdiction committees and ministries within the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. They are both Lay Servants, Lennox serves as a Conference Trustee and Darlene as Conference Lay Leader.
Why are you running for Village of Salado Board of Aldermen? We moved to the Village of Salado in 2005 and it soon became less of a place to simply live and more of a place to call home. That is one of the reasons that the campaign motto is simple: “For Our Community , For Our Future.” I believe that now is the time to get involved to work towards the future of the Salado of tomorrow for our children and grandchildren of today. Salado is changing, growth and development is inevitable we must however protect the uniqueness that we love about our Village.
What is your top priority for the Village? Infrastructure: Our growth as a community, the availability of ground water for our citizens and current developments are all part of the infrastructure of our future. We must ensure our resources are secure, safe and available. We must also work towards improving drainage in our community so we can prevent flooding of private property and public areas.
Community Safety: Protection of our residents, our community, our schools, private and personal property are a direct reflection of the health and quality of life within Salado. A safe community is a vibrant, cohesive, and strong community, and should be protected by a dependable, well trained, well equipped and well-staffed Police Force.
Salado is well appreciated by developers and building contractors and seen as an emerging location to develop, invest and grow. Our Village administrators and legislators must ensure that all growth and development is considered on the merit of being in the “Best Interest” of Salado and its residents. We must maintain our current tax reform at a minimum to lower the city’s tax burden on our residents.
Samuel Morris
Family Information: Sam Morris and his wife Barbara, along with their two sons, relocated to Salado, Texas seven years ago. Their sons proudly graduated from Salado High School, and Barbara is currently employed as a dyslexia teacher while also serving on the Salado Library Board.
Education and Professional background: Following his service as a meteorologist in the United States Air Force, Sam transitioned to load/demand forecasting for power systems. In 2016, he received an invitation to join the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, where he assists with current and future grid operations.
Why are you running for Village of Salado Board of Aldermen? It is my belief, anyone running for a public office should act as a true representative of their constituents. It’s important for members of the community to feel heard and have their concerns acknowledged. As a candidate, I aspire to be that person who you can come to with your issues and I’ll strive to be a vocal advocate for the community.
What is your top priority for the Village? It’s inevitable that Salado will experience growth, but it’s crucial that we plan for it properly. My top priority is to ensure that the community has a say in how Salado grows. By providing the village administration with the necessary tools and resources, we can manage growth in a way that doesn’t compromise the qualities that make Salado such a special place.