The office of County Mayor is known as the highest elected official of the county. It is an elected position with a term of four years. In Bedford County, the Mayor is the Chief Financial Official.
Eugene Ray was elected County Mayor in 2006. He serves as the Chairman of the Law Enforcement Committee and as a non-voting member of the Budget and Finance Committee.
Mayor Ray believes that it is important for all local governments to work cooperatively to achieve the level of services that the citizens of Bedford County expect and deserve to receive. He believes that government should be run efficiently and use every means necessary to implement cost savings ideas.
“I consider it a privilege and an honor to have the opportunity to serve the community as Bedford County Mayor. My wife and I are proud to be able to call ourselves lifelong members of this community,” said Ray. “I have watched the enormous growth in Bedford County over the past several years and realize that some of the issues that confront all of us are lack of a strong efficient fiscal government, continuous industrial, retail and commercial recruiting and to continue to support education for the citizens.”
Ray is a lifetime resident of Bedford County. He has been married to Olivia for over 50 years. The couple have four children, Valerie, Kertrina, Christi (deceased), and Cedric (deceased). They have two grandchildren; Mary and Charles Avent.
Ray and his wife are members of Bright Temple Church of God in Christ where he serves as the administrative assistant and the financial director.
Mayor Ray is a graduate of Bedford County Training School and attended Motlow State Community College. He has been a member of the Bedford County Board of Commissioners for 28 years, being chairman 20 of those years.
He holds four licenses with the state: a class 4 in water, a class 4 in waste water, backflow preventer license and a Real Estate Broker’s license. He took 4 years of courses from the Operating Engineering School at AEDC when he was employed there for 35 years. He completed the Bell & Howell Electronics School 18 month course and completed several International Correspondence Courses.
The Mayor currently serves on several committees:
- Celebration Affiliate Board
- Chairman of the Shelbyville Parks & Recreation Board
- Industrial Board
- Governor’s Advisory Planning Board
- Solid Waste Board
- South Central Tennessee Development District Board
- South Central Human Resources Board
- Economic Development Board
- Chamber of Commerce Board
- United States Selective Service Board
- Heart of Tennessee Chapter of Red Cross Board
- Health Council
- Shelbyville Bedford County Senior Citizens Board
- Railroad Authority Board
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