Bengie Foley: Why I’m running for Ward 1 Alderman

My name is Bengie Foley and I am a Republican candidate for Ward 1 Alderman. On the ballot, you will see my name written as Judith Bennett (Bengie) Foley. I am a lifelong resident of New Albany, a graduate of W. P. Daniel High School and I attended Blue Mountain College for 2 years prior to transferring to the University of Mississippi for my major. My degree is a B.S. in Interior Design with minors in marketing, business and art. I am a member of the New Albany Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church where I have served in various offices, a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club of New Albany, a past Regional Representative of the Blue Mountain College Alumni Association and a past member of the L.I.F.T., Inc., Board of Directors.

One of the first questions we encounter upon announcing our candidacy is, why are you running? In the autumn of 2019, several high school friends and I were visiting. In the course of the evening, we began to discuss things we would like to see our home town do and what we would like to see it become. One person posed two very though provoking questions:

What would you like to see New Albany become?
What are you willing to do to insure that it reaches that?

Reasons I’m running for Ward 1 Alderman

We all had great answers concerning our ideas, but no one could answer the second question. Fast forward to 2021 and current Ward 1 Alderman, Amy Livingston, announced that she would not seek re-election. At that moment, I realized that running for the position of Alderman was something I could do to see New Albany become even greater than it is today.

Some of the things I would like to work on as an Alderman include:

The Train and blocked crossings: emergency access is blocked not only to residents but also to the elementary school and industries. I plan to work with the city in enforcing an ordinance on the books as well as working with BNSF to see what can be done to prevent the blocked crossings. A few years ago, plans were being made to build an overpass from Munsford Drive to the industrial park. We need to see what happened to the plans and why it was never pursued.
The City Comprehensive Plan: a great plan to usher New Albany into the next stage of growth in a planned, not haphazard manner. The Comprehensive Plan will help New Albany address all areas of growth. Examine the Comprehensive Plan and work with necessary parties in order to implement the plan.
Infrastructure: Roads are in need of repair and some are slated this summer for overlay. A new water treatment plant is being built. The electrical system is also being considered, I understand. Our electrical needs have increased, putting a strain on the existing substations. I will work closely with New Albany Light Gas and Water to make sure the utilities provided are in direct proportion to the growth of businesses and residences as well as work with them on additional streetlights in residential areas and to find a solution for changing out burned out streetlights sooner. Internet access is also needed in this area, especially for our students who are dealing with virtual learning. I will work to bring that service to New Albany.
Tourism: Promote New Albany through magazines. The recent editions of Southern Living and the Mississippi Magazine have done lovely articles featuring New Albany and all we have to offer. There are many other regional magazines such as Garden and Gun and Southern Lady that could also do articles. We can see about contacting these publications to have stories done about New Albany in order to improve awareness of all we have to offer. They can also highlight different facilities within our city, such as our great museum and our sportsplex to name a few.
Utilize the Tanglefoot Trail for more organized activities, such as rides or walks, in conjunction with festivals. We already have Tallahatchie Riverfest in the fall, perhaps we could plan a spring event to include a bike ride and have music by local artists. We also need to connect the Tanglefoot Trail to the Museum. One way could be by simply painting a bike lane on Railroad Avenue and Cleveland Street, leading the riders and those walking directly to the museum.
Explore ways to utilize the Tallahatchie River: The river is the reason New Albany is located here. It’s hard to believe that at one time, it accommodated boat traffic. Look at ways we can utilize the river for events, activities and tourism. Work with the Tallahatchie Drainage Commission on a safe access area to the river for canoes and kayaks.
Recruit more diverse industry, not just automotive and furniture. Also look at distribution facilities. With New Albany being situated on I-22, Highways 30 and 15 and with Highway 30 connecting to other main arteries such as Highway 45 and I-55 via Highway 6, this puts New Albany in a prime spot for distribution facilities. Another industry to explore is recycling. Why not recruit a recycling center that other cities and counties can deliver their recyclables to be processed. This will not only provide jobs, but it will also help in beautification. Also, recruit more small businesses into our adjacent areas, not just downtown.
More signage: People traveling I-22 don’t have a Welcome to New Albany sign that peaks their interest. We can include things on signage such as Home of Eli Whiteside, 2 Time World Series Catcher for San Francisco, Home of Cotton States Baseball League, Home of Musician Sam Mosely, Home of Home of United States Tennis Association Park of the Year tennis courts. Birthplace of William Faulkner. Pique people’s interest with signage, make them want to stop and explore instead of driving on by.
Parks and Youth Activities: Our parks are used by a lot of people. Different parks are currently being updated and this is great. The one park that keeps coming up is the Park Along the River. A lot of people enjoy taking their children there because of the shade and it’s centrally located. The two main concerns I have heard have been getting equipment upgraded and snakes, copperheads in particular. A lot of people are also requesting activities for our youth, to keep them here, instead of having them drive to Oxford and Tupelo. Some things mentioned fall under private ownership, such as bowling or gaming facilities, but I will work with the Park Commission on things that we can have through that department as well as ideas on recruiting a business that has activities for the youth. A swimming pool has also been a big request, not just for our youth but also adults. Not only is it used for recreation, it also has a following for sports and health.
Community Storm Shelters: Several local cities have added reinforced dome shelters that will hold 1000 people. New Albany has very few places people can seek shelter in the event of a bad storm particularly a super storm outbreak. In the event of an extremely strong tornado, an interior room on the lower level of a house will not be sufficient, the only safe places at that time will be either underground or in a reinforced dome shelter. Another need is a regularly updated and rehearsed plan of action in the event of a natural disaster. This needs to be in writing, the Board of Aldermen, department heads and emergency services all need to have a plan of action to follow for rescue, staging, triage and so forth. I will work with the proper departments to ensure that we have such a plan in place.
Funding: Look for ways to provide funding for projects mentioned through grants and other vehicles. The primary funding is through sales tax. Let’s look at other alternatives to raising taxes.

There are so many additional issues that we, as a city, need to address. As your Alderman for Ward 1, I pledge to do my utmost best to pursue the things on this list and to listen to your concerns and to see what solutions may be available. I will be your voice and representative for Ward 1.

–Judith Bennett (Bengie) Foley

Some changes voters should know about for this year’s election: https://newalbanyunionco.com/city-election-absentee-voting/