When Macon County primary elections were held last spring, in his first run as a candidate, 30-year resident Barry Breeden, at 43 years old, succeeded Commissioner Paul Higdon for the District III seat on the Macon County Commissioner Board. Higdon honorably served 12 years on the board, which also includes one seat from District I (John Shearl) and three seats from District II (Gary Shields, Danny Antoine, and Josh Young).
On Dec. 1, at the Macon County Courthouse, Breeden was sworn in as a county commissioner – a seat he will hold for a four-year term. Prior to taking his seat, he shared some thoughts on his background and some reasons behind his running for the board.
Q: What are you looking most forward to?
A: To make a change. As a small business owner, I felt it was time for a change. [Breeden owns Carolina Junction, The Storage Place, and Breeden 5 Properties.] We [commissioners] can do really well for Macon County and most people want to see it grow in the right ways. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can foster that growth and how we can serve the community. I want to take a seat and make good, sound decisions for the future of Macon County.
Q: What do you consider to be the most challenging part of your new role?
(Regarding a recent outburst by a meeting attendee, Breeden responded:)
A: None of that stuff seems to be a challenge; I come from a law enforcement background. People are going to have those feelings. We’re here to make decisions and not everyone is going to agree with what we are doing.
I think the biggest challenge is that we are taking care of the taxpayer dollar and being fiscally responsible. [Macon County] is at a tipping point with so many people coming in. We need to be voting for the things that move the county in the right direction. Regarding “taking care of the taxpayer,” some people forget – our kids are not taxpayers, but we have to make decisions on their future, even with current taxpayer dollars.
Q: What prompted you to run and how did you feel about winning the primary against those who also vied for it?
A: I have kids and I want my oldest daughter (who is now in college and also wrote articles for Macon Sense) to come back to Macon County. I feel we are losing a lot of young people because we still want tourism, but we have people moving here who are relying on getting good jobs and housing, but we haven’t set ourselves up for that in the last 20 or 30 years.
I felt like a fresh perspective and someone with their finger on the pulse of the younger generation was needed. My parents also live here; my wife’s [Deidre, who is on the Macon County Board of Education] grandmother is now 93 – I’m not pushing those people aside but being sort of in the gap [between the younger and older citizens] I know we also have to take care of our senior folks.
Q: How would you describe your overall experience since you learned you would be joining the other commissioners in Macon County earlier this year?
A: I’ve talked to and seen a lot of people at my business, especially since I won the primary. They want to talk about what’s going on in the county. You get used to it. I sensed they were ready for some change.
Realizing we collect a lot of taxes and that our fund balance is healthy – I think that is an issue some people have. For example, I feel like the recent quarter-cent sales tax initiative failure (it failed to pass again this year as it did in 2022) shows people feel we collect a lot of taxes but don’t use them for the right causes.
Q: As a local business owner, do you believe that affected your efforts to win a county commissioner seat and if so, how?
A: I have a couple small businesses, and I feel like the budget process is something I will enjoy. I’ve worked for a finance company, and I understand working with money wisely. My business is in town, and I hope that people feel like they can walk through the door and talk to me if needed.
Q: What was it that you feel most factored into your winning the primary last March?
A: First off, we had one of the lowest turnouts, historically, for the primary, even though it was during a presidential election year. I feel the county already knew it was down to two candidates – whether that helped me or hurt me locally, I’m not sure.
I think the county feels that it’s time for a new direction and with recent changes in board members, [namely Antoine and Young], people start to envision the board as a whole, being (and thinking) a bit younger. At the same time, I respect my predecessor for standing on his principles even if everyone hasn’t always agreed with him. I guarantee I will experience the same thing. You need to be a little open-minded and go with the flow and new ideas sometimes. I don’t think anyone previously on the board did anything terrible. It was just time for some change.
Q: Assuming your family is excited about your new role, do you view it having any significant impact on your family or business life and if so, in what ways?
A: With Diedre already in politics, I had a sense of what it’s going to be like. Being a commissioner may involve a bit more, but we are pretty good about boundaries; and I feel like we can address what’s going on for either of us as we need to.
We talk about issues and come to agreements much more often than we don’t. My kids don’t pay a whole lot of attention to the roles we fill. (Laughing) Most of the time they aren’t even aware of which meeting we are going to.
In closing, Breeden shared in response to being elected as a County Commissioner: “Obviously, it’s humbling – it is an honor to serve and for all the support and love that I received, I’d like to say a big ‘Thank You.’ I hope that I can get in there and make the difference that I envisioned – and do it the right way for Macon County.”