Over the last several months, I have made it a priority to hear directly from the people of Sevier County. Real leadership begins with understanding the people you serve. From pie suppers in Walnut Grove to civic club meetings in Pigeon Forge to one-on-one conversations at small businesses in Seymour, I have sat with folks across this county and asked the same simple question:
What do you want the next mayor of Sevier County to know?
Here is some of what I heard.
I heard pride. A real, deep, generational pride in Sevier County. Our economy, our schools, our towns, the mountains that frame all of it. People in this county know they live somewhere special. They want a mayor who understands that and respects the work that got us here.
I heard concern about being forgotten. Tourism is the foundation of our local economy, and we are grateful for the opportunities it has created. We have built businesses, careers, and livelihoods around it. But, time and again, I heard from residents who feel that somewhere along the way, county government became more focused on the visitor than the neighbor. That must change. As your next mayor, I will work to ensure that while we continue to welcome millions of visitors, your county government will never lose sight of its first responsibility: serving the good people of Sevier County.
I heard concerns about housing. I heard from young families who can no longer afford to live in the county where they were raised. I heard from folks watching their traditional residential neighborhood change as short-term rentals replace the families who used to live next door. I heard from rural residents concerned about large, short-term rental cabin developments expanding into areas that have been quiet, rural residential communities for generations. Too often, these developments arrive before the roads, utilities, and other infrastructure needed to support them. My own kids deserve the chance to live here when they are grown. So do yours.
I heard concerns about roads. People would frequently point to major highway projects needed to keep traffic moving as top priorities. The Veterans Boulevard Extension to Highway 66 at Gists Creek Road is an important project in our long-term transportation plan that will alleviate congestion in downtown Sevierville and Highway 66. As the state continues improvements to Highway 411, the widening of Newport Highway in Sevier County must become a priority to handle the coming droves of locals and visitors who will use this corridor. These major highway projects matter, and we need to continue to work with TDOT to push them forward. But I also heard about the two-lane roads, the intersections, and neighborhood roads that each of us drive daily. Increased traffic due to GPS and large-scale developments have turned what were the “local backroads” to now regular daily use for visitors and locals. Together with the Sevier County Highway Department, we have an incredible opportunity with the completion of the Safe Streets for All road improvement plan to make significant improvements to not only large arterial roads but our local roads too. This plan will allow the county to apply for grants for projects that otherwise would have been out of reach.
I heard pride in our first responders. Our deputies, our firefighters, our paramedics, our dispatchers, and many others are the real hometown heroes. Sevier County asks a unique thing of these professionals. They serve 100,000 residents and 21 million visitors with the same set of uniforms. They deserve the support and respect that goes with that responsibility.
I heard from people across Sevier County that they want a county government that is accessible and communicates with the people. They want to know what their government is doing and hear directly from those they elect to serve them. Just as important, they want a government that listens. They want to know their concerns matter and that their voices help shape the decisions we make. The good people of Sevier County should be at the heart of each decision their government makes. This means better communication, greater accessibility, and a commitment to put our residents first. I take that responsibility seriously, and we’re going to do something about it.
And I heard pride in our schools. Sevier County Schools is one of the strongest school systems in this state, full stop. We still have local input and local direction in the education of our kids. The work being done by our students, our teachers, our administrators, our staff, and others in education is top-notch. The concern I hear is about whether the state is sending us our fair share of education funding. And the answer is . . . no. Sevier County is at the bottom of the funding formula per capita. To change this is a fight, and it is a hard one. Our delegation in Nashville is leading the way to change this funding discrepancy, and my job will be to advocate alongside them, every single day.
This listening will not end on Election Day. It will not end on the day I am sworn in. I plan to keep showing up, picking up the phone, and reading every email.
The job of county mayor is not to have all the answers. It is to ask the right questions of the right people and to act on what you learn.
Thank you for telling me what you have told me. I am listening. I will keep listening. And I will be ready to serve on September 1.
