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GSN Benchmarks B 2026

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Town Of Greeneville Has Eventful Year

The Town of Greeneville had an eventful year that saw the resignation of City Manager Todd Smith, a medical emergency for the mayor, restoration of Town Hall, and various other developments.

Mayor Cal Doty suffered a stroke caused by atrial fibrillation minutes before a City Council meeting on May 20. He was transported by ambulance to Johnson City Medical Center where he underwent surgery. After his recovery, Doty was able to preside over the next regularly scheduled council meeting on June 3.

In mid-August, Doty requested Smith’s resignation, stating it was time for a change in leadership.

The City Council voted 3-2 in a packed meeting Aug. 19 to approve Doty’s request, with the mayor having to cast a rare tiebreaking vote.

Council members Matt Hensley and Tim Ward voted in favor of the request. Council members Ginny Kidwell and Tim Teague voted against it.

“I, Cal Doty, Mayor of Greeneville, Tennessee, am formally requesting the resignation of Town Manager of Greeneville, Tennessee, Mr. Todd Smith,” Doty said in a written statement. “While I appreciate his years of service to the Town of Greeneville, I think the time has come that a change in leadership is needed and is appropriate.”

Within a couple of days, Smith submitted his official resignation, stating it was not the way he planned to leave the job and expressing appreciation for those he worked with as city manager.

Smith served as city manager since December 2011, when he was chosen as the town’s first administrator. At the time, Greeneville’s government system was changed from a “weak mayor” form of government to a city manager form of government.

Following his resignation, the council voted unanimously to appoint Assistant City Manager Cathy Osborne as interim city manager and began a process to hire a new city manager, which could happen as early as March 2026.

“This request is not being made lightly,” Doty also said in his statement. “There have been many issues during my three years as Greeneville’s Mayor that have impacted the thought process which has led me to make this decision. During these past three years, I have tried to help Todd (Smith) grow in his position as Town Manager but do not feel I have been able to make an impact.”

“When I ran for the mayor’s office in 2022, I ran on a simple idea: moving our community forward. That meant improving relationships, breaking away from the mindset of ‘this is how we’ve always done it,’ and looking for new, innovative ways to make our town better,” Doty said. “People responded to those ideas. One of the concerns I heard most often was the need for change in leadership at Town Hall.”

Concerns expressed in the meeting included lack of management of the Depot Street revitalization project, the need to work with the county and surrounding communities, a recent controversy over Smith’s recommendation to slash funding to the Greene County Partnership, and the need for more visionary leadership.

Smith said he had concerns that Doty had been undertaking activities that could violate the town’s charter in visiting town departments and giving orders to town employees without going through the city manager.

He also said he thought the request for his resignation was “personal,” because Doty was angry about his going out to lunch every other week with former mayor W.T. Daniels.

Doty said he had heard from “many people” in town who were not comfortable with Smith’s continued lunches with Daniels “because they feel that there is a second government running our town. I thought it would hurt him in that job, and I was trying to give him discussion that I thought would help him. Maybe I’m wrong. I was trying to do what I could for the town.”

In his letter of resignation town employees, Smith said, “Today I am submitting my letter of resignation to the Greeneville City Council. To say thank you for the work you do in this community is insufficient. For the last 13+ years you’ve allowed me in your lives, you taught me aspects of your jobs, you shared your ups and downs outside of work, and we walked side by side moving this community forward,” Smith said in the email. “I reflect on all that you have accomplished over the last 13 years and you should be very proud of your accomplishments. You made me look good countless times, and I will always remember that. You are incredible public servants who make this community the attractive success it is.”

TOWN HALL, PICKLEBALL

Town Hall underwent exterior restoration in fall 2025 at a total cost of $124.660.

Work on the 1967 building was completed by Skyline Restoration & Maintenance, LLC.

Restoration efforts included repairing and repainting four full columns and two partial columns, the portico and ceiling, the front door and frame, attic vents, and more than 50 windows.

To ensure visual consistency and prolong the life of additional building features, Skyline submitted a change order requesting the inclusion of the side gables, rear cornice, and eight downspouts in the scope of work.

Also during 2025, the town developed pickleball courts near the corner of Summer Street and College Street through a partnership with the Rotary Club of Greeneville.

POCKET PARK, SIDEWALKS

Another new space for public use is a pedestrian walkway and

small plaza in the pocket park connecting Main Street and the Crowfoot Alley parking lot.

The park, formerly known as Eagle’s Rest, was opened up to provide pedestrian access to Main Street in 2023. However, there was only packed-down gravel laid as the walking surface temporarily until work on a final design was completed.

The design for the park was approved in April by the Greeneville City Council.

Architect Dave Wright told the council in April that the park would feature seating, grass, and “a meandering walk” from Main Street that opened up to a “food court plaza” near Crowfoot Alley.

An art wall is also a part of the concept, which would include

SUN FILE PHOTO
City Manager Todd Smith, left, and Mayor Cal Doty talk in a Greeneville City Council meeting at the time of Doty’s request for Smith’s resignation.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Exterior renovations are shown at Greeneville Town Hall.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Todd Smith speaks about a request for his resignation in a meeting of the Greeneville City Council.

rotating art pieces. A place for a sculpture is also included.

A drinking fountain for both people and pets is included in the design, as well.

Sloped sidewalks on the revitalized West Depot Street were the subject of much discussion in 2025. The city council decided to stain the potentially unsafe slopes.

Initially the town pursued placing railings with narrow bar tops on the sloping sections with the council going as far as to approve a design for the leaning rails. However, after receiving feedback from property owners on Depot Street, with many expressing concern about the rails, the council chose to pursue other options.

PARKS & REC AWARDS

The Greeneville Parks & Recreation Department was awarded a $100,000 state grant for new playground equipment and court upgrades at Hardin Park.

The project called for accessible playground equipment geared toward 2- to 12-year-old children to be placed near the pond at the park, and old equipment to be removed and four new pickleball courts and two refreshed basketball courts to be placed across the road from the new playground.

The project was expected to cost $204,500, and the Greeneville City Council appropriated $104,500 for the upgrades.

The Parks & Rec Department was recognized in 2025 with the Tennessee Municipal League’s Excellence in Parks and Recreation award.

Each year the Tennessee Municipal League honors cities throughout the state for overall excellence, improvement, specific outstanding programs or department accomplishments.

It is the first time the local department has won the statewide award. Only one municipality in the state receives the award each year.

NEW DEPARTMENT

The town also created a new department in 2025.

The Development Services Department is designed to implement select responsibilities from the Planning, Building, and Development Department, along with Public Works stormwater administration. In addition, engineering services will be incorporated into the department.

The department will assist residential and commercial developers with planning, zoning, stormwater management, and permitting. It will serve as a liaison with utilities and public service departments to help projects meet requirements and stay on track.

Led by a newly created development services director position, the department will also include a planning administrator and a planner/GIS staffer. The director will manage stormwater compliance, capital improvement projects, engineering, and emergency

stormwater issues.

Developers will first work with Development Services for early-stage planning. When ready to build, they will transition to the Building Department for permits and inspections.

SUN FILE PHOTO
Cathy Osborne, newly appointed interim city manager, speaks to the Greeneville City Council. Seated, from left, are Mayor Cal Doty, council members Tim Ward and Ginny Kidwell, and Finance Director Lora Young.

Town Of Baileyton Seeking Stability In Its Law Enforcement Ranks

The Town of Baileyton, a small municipality located in northern Greene County 13 miles north of Greeneville off Interstate 81 at Exit 36, has worked to stabilize its law enforcement situation over the last year.

A new police chief, Bruce Halliburton, was hired Sept. 15, after the previous police chief in Baileyton, Joshua Ferguson, resigned a month earlier.

Ferguson was demoted to the position of police officer earlier in 2025 following a decision by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen instructing the mayor to do so.

At a public hearing last March on Ferguson’s employment status, Mayor Jamie Tilson accused him of “insubordination,” which included “certain tasks which he either did not do, or was not timely in doing.”

Kenneth Bitner, a Baileyton police officer who retired in December 2024, became the interim police chief until Halliburton came on board in September.

Dallas Moore was hired earlier in 2025 to replace K-9 Officer Allen Tauscher, whom the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated and the mayor fired in November 2024.

Greene County District Attorney General Dan Armstrong said in June his office would not be bringing charges against a former Baileyton police officer that the TBI investigated.

Neither Armstrong nor the TBI identified the officer by name.

Armstrong stated that, although no charges will be filed, the district attorney general’s office filed a so-called Giglio letter with the Town of Baileyton.

A Giglio letter is a notification from a prosecutor that states a law enforcement officer’s credibility is being questioned due to alleged misconduct or inconsistencies.

Such a letter essentially flags an officer as someone whose testimony might be viewed with suspicion by the defense in a criminal trial.

The new police chief, Halliburton, hired Elisha Heins as a new police officer in October. Heins began attending the police academy at Walters State Community College in Greeneville to become a patrolman in Baileyton.

Four other officers were hired by the new police chief on a parttime basis to add to two existing part-time officers patrolling the area, Halliburton stated in November.

According to data from the U.S. Census in 2020, Baileyton had a population of 436. Other agencies report it may have had a very slight increase in residents since then.

Despite its small population, Baileyton’s annual Baileyton Celebration attracts hundreds of people, including many from outside the area.

Last September, the 31st annual festival was held on the grounds of Baileyton Elementary School.

Hundreds braved threatening skies and then a downpour lasting over two hours on a Saturday afternoon during the Celebration.

“Some people came in after the rain and listened to the entertainment. People are resilient,” said organizer Donna Bailey late Saturday night.

“Our crowd was down, I’m sure because of the rain and the UTETSU ballgame” in the afternoon, she stated.

“We had a good variety of entertainment,” Bailey recalled.

“Aaron (Walker) had a huge crowd for a rainy day. Lonesome Pine was awesome. They didn’t let the rain damper them. Everybody we had today did a great job.”

Bailey explained why there was no celebrity on hand at last year’s celebration, as there have been in years past.

“The sponsorships were down a third this year. We did try to reach out to Erik Estrada (who has been a popular celebrity there in the past), but he had already booked a place” at the time of the Baileyton Celebration, she said.

At another event, about 260 motorcyclists honoring Vietnam War veterans on a cross-country memorial ride stopped at the Davy Crockett TA Travel Center in Baileyton in May to refuel and take a break.

A fire broke out in the Greene County-Greeneville EMS building in Baileyton in November, but no one was injured.

An advanced EMT, Tommy Payne, woke up in the sleeping quarters of the EMS building next to Town Hall on Horton Highway around 3 a.m. and noticed smoke coming from the bathroom, a Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy stated in a report.

Payne and paramedic Jenna Stephens Austin evacuated, and the United Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire, containing it to the EMS building.

SUN FILE PHOTO
Former Baileyton Police Chief Joshua Ferguson, standing, left, defended his actions as police chief at a public hearing in March at Town Hall. Ferguson was demoted to police officer, but resigned from that position later in the year. Standing on the right is former K-9 police officer
Allen Tauscher, whom the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated and Mayor Jamie Tilson fired in November 2024.
SUN FILE PHOTO
The 31st annual Baileyton Celebration attracted hundreds of people in September, despite cloudy skies and rain.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Aaron Walker performed last September at the 31st annual Baileyton Celebration.
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Baileyton Town Hall is located across from the Baileyton Elementary School on Horton Highway.
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Bruce Halliburton was hired as Baileyton’s new police chief in September. The previous police chief, Joshua Ferguson, was demoted to police officer earlier in the year and then resigned from his job months later.
SUN FILE PHOTO
Elisha Heins was hired as a police officer by the new police chief in Baileyton, Bruce Halliburton, who came on board in September. Heins is expected to finish his training at a police academy in Greeneville in March and become a patrolman.

Town Of Mosheim Looks Forward To Exit 23 Development

The Town of Mosheim was named after Mosheim College, which was established in the 1870s. The school was named after the German theologian and scholar Johann Lorenz von Mosheim.

The town became incorporated in 1974, long after it was named Mosheim.

It is the youngest municipality in Greene County formed after Greeneville, Baileyton and Tusculum.

The town’s incorporation was sought in part by issues with the town’s water supply, according to a Dec. 11, 1973 article in The Greeneville Sun.

The article states that the community’s water source for decades, Mosheim’s Blue Springs, was becoming inadequate and perhaps contaminated as the community grew, according to the State of Tennessee’ Health Department.

State funding was necessary in order to make changes to the water system. By becoming a town, Mosheim was able to receive shares of state taxes such as sales and gasoline taxes.

The town’s services continue to be maintained through those local tax shares and sales tax, and does not have a property tax.

Mayor Rick Cunningham, who holds a full-time job as assistant manager at a Dollar General store in Baileyton, said in a January interview that officials are “always thinking of the sewer plant” and making safety upgrades and increasing its capacity.

Cunningham said of a new development planned near Exit 23 which will include two hotels with an adjoining lobby, “The biggest issue is getting hooked up to the sewer. We’re having trouble getting sewer lines to the hotel

A preliminary investigation stated the fire started when a fan shorted out in the bathroom ceiling of the EMS station.

The board of mayor and aldermen at its January meeting accepted a bid of $12,209 from TradeWorx to repair the damage, which is covered by the town’s insurance policy.

property.”

He also stated more cooperation is needed among landowners in the area.

The Mosheim Crossing development is planned for 30 acres of property behind and beside the Marathon gas station and Wendy’s fast-food restaurant off Exit 23 on Interstate 81.

The two hotels, a TownPlace Suites by Marriott for overnight stays, and a Fairfield Inn by Marriott for longer stays, will have a total of 113 rooms, according to Cunningham.

He said the hotels will be “great for accommodating a lot of sports teams (and visitors) that come for tournaments” in the area who currently have no local options to stay overnight.

Several other businesses are expected to be built, including restaurants.

“Once folks see the hotels, they will be an anchor” and attract more businesses to be built in the area, Cunningham predicted.

“It’s really important. We’ve got to get this thing going,” he stated.

Cunningham thanked Jeff Taylor, president and CEO of the Greene County Partnership, and Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison for pushing forward with the development.

“Their leadership has been solid,” stated Cunningham. “They do a lot for Mosheim, especially Jeff (Taylor).”

In 2025, the RaceTrac Travel Center for 18-wheelers and passenger vehicles opened in the summer on Highway 11E off Exit 23, across from Wendy’s.

“It’s like a mini-Buc-ee’s,” the mayor said. “It’s been really busy.”

RaceTrac, which opened in July, has 16 gas pumps for passenger vehicles, and 6 for tractor-trailers.

Sam Riley, who served a total

In another matter, the Baileyton Board of Mayor and Aldermen in February approved, on a second and final reading, an ordinance that defines, among other things, short and long-term stays at campgrounds in the town.

The amendment to Baileyton’s municipal zoning ordinance, which was crafted by

planning commission and town officials in meetings and workshops in recent months, was seen as the first step towards getting long-term visitors to Baileyton to pay property taxes like permanent residents do.

Baileyton currently has two campgrounds, and officials have eyed one of them, the Around Pond RV

of 12 years on the Greene County Commission, died April 1, 2025, at the age of 72.

He served for decades on the Greene County Regional Planning Commission and was the current chairman of the board when he passed away.

A local businessman and realtor, Riley was a West Greene High School graduate. He was the owner and operator of Sam Riley Motor Co. in Mosheim for 25 years before beginning work as a real estate agent in 2006.

Riley was a member and trustee of Mohawk Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Mosheim Masonic Lodge.

Fundraising for restoration of the iconic Blue Springs Church in Mosheim

Park on Van Hill Road, that reportedly has hundreds of residents staying there, including some for years. Some have built porches and decks that signify permanent residency, officials say.

“They’re homesteading,” said Alderwoman Sherrie Ottinger at a January meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

continued in 2025.

The Blue Springs Historical Association received its largest donation ever in April 2025 from Veolia Water North AmericaSouth, LLC at the Mosheim Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

John Haak, the manager of the Mosheim Wastewater Plant through a contract with Veolia Water, presented the historical association’s president, Wilhelmina Williams, with a check for $7,500 to go toward

SUN FILE PHOTO
Fundraising and renovations continued in 2025 on the iconic Blue Springs Church in Mosheim.
See MOSHEIM | page 8B
SUN FILE PHOTO
About 260 motorcyclists honoring Vietnam War veterans on a cross-country memorial ride stopped at the Davy Crockett TA Travel Center in Baileyton in May to refuel and take a break.

Town Of Tusculum An Important Part of Greene County Life

STAFF REPORTS

The City of Tusculum remained as an important part of Greene County civic life in 2025.

John Rose, a U.S. Congressman and Republican candidate for governor of Tennessee, said Friday he supported the Feb. 28 U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran by President Donald Trump.

Rose, speaking at a legislative luncheon held at Tusculum University on March 6, stated, “We are at war ... to rid ourselves of the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran. I think it was necessary.”

Rose said the Iranian regime, since it came to power following a revolution 47 years ago, has resulted in “thousands” of Americans killed, attacks on U.S. interests in the Middle East and other terrorist attacks.

“We don’t want (them to have the) ballistic ability to bring their nuclear weapons to the U.S.” or to American bases in the Middle East, Rose stated.

Also speaking at the luncheon, which was hosted by the Greene County Partnership, were Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison, State Rep. David Hawk, State Sen. Steve Southerland and Tusculum Mayor Alan Corley.

Rose also said he would “work hard” at the federal level to bring production of the nickel to Greene County. Tusculum-based Artazn was the sole producer of penny blanks prior to the federal government’s decision last year to stop minting pennies.

Rose also stated he opposed the legalization of marijuana, which he said was “definitely a gateway drug” to the abuse of more potent illegal drugs.

In response to a question from the audience about potentially dangerous products sold in vape stores and convenience stores in Greene County, Hawk recalled that some people in the county died or developed serious health problems several years ago when bath salts were sold.

“Every year, someone is coming up with the next intoxicant, so we (state legislators) have to stay vigilant.”

Southerland stated that after industrial hemp production was legalized in Tennessee, “some people found a way to increase the THC content of .3 percent, which is illegal.” He said, “It’s a continual effort” to fight the sale of dangerous drugs.

On another matter, Rose said large pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), such

as Caremark, which owns CVS, are “making it hard for independent pharmacists” to succeed.

He said he has worked at the federal level with U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger of the First District, which includes Greene County, and others “to rein them (pharmacy benefit managers) in.”

Legislation that would prohibit PBMs from owning or controlling pharmacies in Tennessee is advancing in the General Assembly in Nashville.

The bill has sparked concern for companies like CVS Health, which has threatened to close its pharmacies in Tennessee if the bill passes.

If approved, the legislation would bar PBMs from acquiring, holding, or exercising control over a pharmacy license in the state.

Rose said that, despite some claims to the contrary, the proposed legislation in Nashville “is not going to put CVS out of business.”

Morrison stated that education and workplace development remains “a high priority” of the county, and noted a 40 percent increase in participation by students in CTE programs in recent years.

Hawk noted the honoring the day before in the Tennessee House of Representatives in Nashville of local Greene County hero and frontiersman Davy Crockett.

He stated one of Crockett’s more familiar quotes was, “Be always sure you’re right, then go ahead.”

Hawk said he tried to follow that advice, and that, like Crockett, “I do not suffer bullies or get intimidated.”

In response to another question about preserving farmland in Tennessee, Hawk noted that $25 million was approved at the state level for a land trust program “to spur legacy farmers to keep their farms in perpetuity.”

He said discussion about further state funding for the program had not been discussed.

Both Hawk and Jeff Taylor, the president and CEO of the Greene County Partnership, said they were focused on attracting and helping small businesses thrive in the area.

Stated Taylor, “We can replace 100 or 250 jobs” if a company that size shuts down, “but we have lived through (an economic) tsunami when 4,500 jobs left” with the closing of Magnavox decades ago.

Hawk also stated there are “challenges within DCS (the state’s Department of

Children’s Services) that we must fix. Our Isaiah 117 Houses are being over-utilized by the DCS and not being treated properly.”

Greeneville is home to one of several nonprofit Isaiah 117 Houses that temporarily care for children removed from their homes and awaiting foster care placement.

The landscape in Tusculum also rapidly changed in 2025.

Construction is nearing completion on two major projects along East Andrew Johnson Highway on the site of the former Greene Valley Developmental Center that officials say will create jobs and benefit existing businesses.

A Tennessee College of Applied Technology satellite campus construction is scheduled to be complete by midAugust, TCAT President Suzanne Cox said in February.

The 53,000-squarefoot building will be located near the former Greene Valley entrance on U.S. 11E and

SPECIAL TO THE SUN/CITY OF TUSCULUM

This architectural drawing shows how a new Tusculum City Hall with additional offices and meeting space would appear after completion. The existing city hall at 145 Alexander St., which dates to the early 1960s, is at left and would be connected to the new building. The project remains under consideration until funding is secured.

encompass about 14 acres.

The project should be completed in time for the fall trimester, Cox said.

The new TCAT satellite campus will offer graduating high school students from Greene County the chance to pursue their studies locally.

The building design includes areas dedicated to specific areas of study, including practical nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, cosmetology, computer integration technologies, welding, machine tools, HVAC, industrial maintenance and industrial electricity.

It will also include an administrative wing and

multi-purpose rooms that could be used by the public for lectures and similar activities.

The new campus is anticipated to result in the creation of jobs in Greene County.

“It will strengthen the local workforce pipeline for area businesses and industries. By aligning our programs with industry needs, we are not only preparing students for immediate employment but also supporting long-term economic growth in Greene County,” Cox said.

“The opening of our new campus in Greeneville represents an important investment in the future of the

community. Expanding access to technical education ensures that students can gain the skills needed for highdemand, high-wage occupations close to home, making it easier for students to build meaningful careers right here where they live,” she said.

The main TCAT campus is in Morristown. At the Tusculum satellite campus, “TCAT will be filling a few positions with the opening of the new location. We will be hiring a full time welding technology instructor and a full time machine tool technology instructor. The position announcements for

these positions will be posted in late spring,” said Chris Edmonds, TCAT Industry, CTE and Grants coordinator.

“TCAT will also be opening a new program which we anticipate will start in January 2027. To meet the growing needs in manufacturing the new program is Robotics and Industrial Automation. We are seeing dramatic advancements in automating manufacturing processes across the region,” Edmonds said.

The Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging’s East Tennessee Regional Office Complex is also rapidly going forward. The complex will serve as the administrative office for DDA employees.

“It’s obvious they are making good progress. The last I heard, they will finished (by) September or October,” Tusculum Mayor Alan Corley said.

Construction “is expected to be completed within the previously stated timeline and will open in 2026,” DDA spokeswoman Cara Kumari said in February.

The project will also include an Enabling Technology Home, ‘where older adults and people with disabilities will have the opportunity to learn about and try various types of enabling technology that can help them live independently,” she said.

The complex will additionally house an Innovation Center.

“This center will focus on whole-person assessments. (It is) a place where people can come to have their seating and positioning needs met as well as have access to personalized technology solutions that foster independence, inclusion, and improved life experiences,” Kumari said.

Training, research and development hubs are also included in the building complex “and provide a centralized place for people to learn about the various services and supports offered through DDA,” she said.

“Overall, the (DDA) complex can accommodate up to 145 employees,” Kumari said.

The total budget for the project is $53.7 million and includes four buildings on 16.7 acres. The DDA complex includes an administration building, innovation center, enabling technology

model home and maintenance and warehouse facilities.

Greene County Partnership President & CEO Jeff Taylor recently told Tusculum officials that the presence of the TCAT campus and the DDA complex should create job opportunities for Greene County residents who currently work in nearby communities.

Corley said that the City of Tusculum will benefit indirectly from having the TCAT campus and DDA complex on the former Greene Valley Developmental Center site, which closed in 2017. Many of the existing buildings were demolished in 2025 to make way for the new construction.

Tusculum does not have a property tax, but receives a portion of sales tax revenues from retail businesses in the city.

“Likely, it will attract other retail businesses that would help us,” Corley said. “Hopefully, there will be some ancillary things that will develop. The overarching goal is to create new jobs opportunity for Greene County residents. It’s not just about Tusculum, It’s about (providing) the entire area with goodpaying jobs and all that will bring.”

The DDA and TCAT projects along East Andrew Johnson Highway will mean increased traffic in the surrounding area. In December, Corley

and Taylor met with Tennessee Department of Transportation officials in Nashville to request placement of additional traffic signals.

The DDA and TCAT projects along East Andrew Johnson Highway will mean increased traffic in the surrounding area.

In December, Corley and Taylor met with Tennessee Department of Transportation officials in Nashville to request placement of additional traffic signals.

Corley said the City of Tusculum and Greene County have applied for a TDOT planning grant “to alleviate some of the (anticipated) traffic issues to accommodate new developments and mitigate some of it.”

““For the city, it probably means (additional) traffic. We will not realize any direct revenue of the (projects). The state is doing a lot of development along 11E with their new buildings,” he said. “If they’re doing the construction, it seems to me they would install the signals. I’m not a traffic engineer, but it seems to me it would not be a problem to install them. The (access) road is there. It just needs signalization.”

Tusculum conducted a city election in November 2024.

Two of the three city commissioner seats were up for election. The incumbents, Barbara Britton and Alan Corley, ran unopposed and were each reelected to a four-year term. The other commissioner seat

is held by Mike Burns, whose term does not expire until 2026.

After the election, commissioners reelected Corley as mayor and Britton as vice-mayor for two-year terms.

After the Tusculum Volunteer Fire Department occupied its new station in 2023, the Tusuclum Public Works Department moved into the former fire department space at Tusuclum City Hall and now has their first “official” office, Corley said.

Plans are in still the works to build a new city hall adjacent to the building in use at 145 Alexander St. since the early 1960s.

“As a part of our long-term plan, we are now considering new space for the police department, recorder’s office, and (for a) public meeting area. We have developed a plan for the new space and hope to pursue that goal as funding allows,” Corley said.

Residential construction continues to be strong in the City of Tusculum. Based on the U.S. 2020 Census, Tusculum’s

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