Every election cycle, Moore County voters are asked to make decisions about the people who will govern their daily lives — their roads, their taxes, their public safety, their schools. Too often, those decisions get made with too little information.
The Lynchburg Times is committed to changing that. This election season, we submitted an identical set of questions to every candidate seeking office in the August 2026 General Election. The questions were designed to go beyond biography — to surface values, priorities, and the kind of thinking voters deserve to see before they mark a ballot. We asked about community connection, relevant experience, the single issue each candidate considers most urgent, where they might diverge from conventional wisdom, how they’d navigate a budget crisis, and how they plan to serve constituents who didn’t choose them.
The answers are published exactly as submitted, without editing or rewriting. What you read is what the candidate gave us. We’ll let you take it from there.
{Editor’s Note: The Lynchburg Times does not endorse candidates.}
The Times: Tell us about yourself and your connection to this community. How long have you lived here, and what has your involvement in local civic life looked like? In brief, how might voters know you?
Moses: Although my father’s and my career with the FBI led to over a dozen moves across the country, Moore County has been a constant in my life since 1997. I fell in love with the small-town atmosphere after working and living in San Diego, Washington D.C., and Nashville. I bought the Charlie and Mary Dixie Walker home in Hurdlow in 2009. In 2012, I bought the George Knoer farm and raised cattle and horses ever since. In 2017 I was awarded the USDA Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year for Moore County. I plan to live here until I am called home. In regard to my involvement in my local civic life, I will refer to Question 2.
The Times: What specific experience — professional, civic, or personal — has prepared you to serve in this role?
Moses: My professional foundation is built on an undergraduate degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration. I dedicated over 30 years to federal law enforcement, with 15 of those years in supervisory roles. Before retiring, I oversaw the FBI’s Nashville Resident Agency, where I was responsible for all operations within 31 counties and over 200 personnel. As the senior Special Agent, I was also the primary liaison to the Governor’s office, state, local and other federal agencies. Most recently, I served as the Program Manager for approximately 150 contract employees supporting the FBI’s Security Division in Huntsville.
Locally, I served four years on the Metro Moore Council representing District 3, during which time I chaired the Metro Utilities Board. Since 2017, I have been a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals, serving as Chairman since 2022. My perspective is formed, in part, by my 2019 completion of Lynchburg Leadership, an eight-month immersion into our county’s departmental operations and infrastructure. My commitment to our community is further reflected in my time as President and Treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce and my eight years of volunteering with the Community Outreach Luncheon group.
The Times: In your opinion, what is the single most important issue facing our community right now, and what concrete steps would you take to address it in your first year in office?
Moses: I am campaigning for Mayor because our county consistently spends more than it generates in revenue. This fiscal path largely ignores those living on fixed or limited incomes. I vividly remember a local resident, Bill Madewell, pleading with the Council not to raise property taxes because he was forced to choose between his taxes or his medication. Sadly, Mr. Madewell passed away shortly after that appearance.
We see this struggle in our own families. My stepfather and my mother, Frank and Mary Allgauer, bought Dudley and Ann Tipps home on Dillingham Hill in 2014 as they fell in love with Moore County after spending the holidays here with me and my family. My stepfather had retired in 1987, and his monthly retirement remained the same until his death in 2024. To put that into perspective, $100 in 1987 had the buying power of roughly $275 in 2024. While the cost of living tripled, his income stood still.
Recently, the Council passed the long-overdue Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) retirement plan for county employees but failed to provide a way to fund it. While I fully support these benefits for county employees, the lack of planning will undoubtedly result in a property tax increase that those on fixed incomes who simply cannot afford to pay this tax increase.
A Four-Pillar Plan for Our Future
While our Budget Committee consists of hard-working volunteers, I believe we can do more to protect your tax dollars:
1. Zero-Based Budgeting: Department heads should start with a blank sheet, justifying every “fixed” and “variable” expense from the ground up to identify where costs can be reduced.
2. Professional Oversight: We should consider contracting a financial advisor to help prepare the budget. This small investment could yield massive savings and reduce the burden on our volunteer committees.
3. Debt Refinancing: We must examine our long-term debt, such as the 2007 school construction loan which carries a variable interest rate, and move toward lower, fixed-rate payments.
4. Revenue Realignment: I propose raising the local sales tax from 9.5% to 9.75%. This will align us with surrounding counties and ensure that tourists — rather than just local property owners — shoulder more of the tax burden.
The Times: Is there an issue where your position differs from what many in your party or your predecessor might support? If so, what is it and why do you hold that view?
Moses: Transparency. To increase public engagement, the Council should proactively publish monthly agendas across local newspapers, social media, and a dedicated county website. Furthermore, we should provide the minutes for all council and committee meetings, which is essential for transparency. To support this, the county could establish a partnership with the high school’s IT department. This would allow students to maintain the site in exchange for Tennessee Promise volunteer credits, creating a cost-effective solution that invests in our local youth and minimizes the expense to taxpayers.
The Times: Local government budgets involve real tradeoffs. If you had to choose between cutting services or raising revenue to close a budget shortfall, how would you approach that decision?
Moses: Referencing my previous answer to Question 3, we can maintain fiscal health by implementing strict expense caps while simultaneously optimizing our revenue streams. By combining a local sales tax increase with the projected growth in our certified tax rate from new residential construction, we can meet the county’s needs without overburdening current residents.
The Times: How do you plan to stay accessible and accountable to constituents who didn’t vote for you?
Moses: My candidacy for Mayor is to be a voice for everyone in our county regardless of their vote, especially our neighbors on fixed incomes who feel overlooked by the current administration. I will bring the same ‘open-door’ standard I have held throughout my career to this role as Mayor. Whether by phone, email, or through a new county website, I will be accessible and ready to listen to the people of Moore County.
The Times: What do you want voters who don’t yet know you to understand about why you are running?
Moses: While I may not be a Moore County native, I am a Moore County resident by choice and an active volunteer by passion. I am deeply invested in our community’s future, and I am committed to finishing my days here, serving the place I am proud to call home. I am fully committed to our county’s long-term success.
The voter registration deadline for the upcoming election is Tuesday, July 7 and early voting will begin on Friday, July 17 and extend through Saturday, August 1. Absentee ballots must be requested by Monday, July 27. The Moore County General Election will take place on Thursday, August 6. •
About The Lynchburg Times: The Lynchburg Times covers Moore County elections as part of its commitment to community accountability journalism. This work is supported by readers, small business partners, and corporate underwriters.