Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks looks toward goals, challenges ahead as TML president

By KATE COIL

TT&C Assistant Editor

TML President and Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks began his career in Tennessee government in 2006 when he was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives. During his time at the General Assembly, he served on the Tennessee Workforce Development Board, as Assistant House Majority Leader, and vice chairman of the House Finance Ways and Means Committee.  

In 2018, Brooks came home to Cleveland to serve as the city’s mayor, a role he has held ever since. During his mayoral career, he also served on the Tennessee Municipal League’s Board of Directors  as second vice president from 2024-2025 and first vice president from 2024-2026 before taking on the role of president this year.  

Brooks also represents municipal governments as vice chair of the Tennessee Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) since 2018.  

Outside of his work in government, Brooks works in public relations and conference planning for the Cleveland-based Church of God in their Department of Communications. He is a member of the Religious Conference Management Association 

 He has also been involved in numerous charity and community organizations including the Cleveland Rotary Club, the United Way of Bradley County, Main Street Cleveland, and the Cleveland City Schools Blue Ribbon Commission, to name a few.  

Brooks and his wife, Kim, have two children.  

TT&C: What first brought you to the city of Cleveland, and what made you decide to make Cleveland your home?  

KB: I came to Cleveland, Tenn., to be a college freshman at 18-years-old literally 40 years ago this year. It was 1986. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that in 2026, I would have 20 years of public service. My wife and I grew up in the Atlanta-Metro area – in Marietta, Ga. - and all of my church friends came to Cleveland to go to Lee College, so I followed suit. I drove north to Cleveland, fell in love – almost love at first sight – and said this is where I want to stay, live, and raise my family. It took me a few years to convince Kim and her dad to let me bring her to Tennessee, and we are still the only Tennessee branch of our family on both sides.  

TT&C: What first sparked your interest in politics? Were there any particular causes you wanted to advocate for? 

KB: When I came to Lee, I was a history major because they didn’t have political science back then. I  studied government, American history, especially the Constitution, and this Appalachian region we now call home. I used to give the downtown historic walking tours as a college student, and my advisor, Dr. William R. Snell, wrote the book Cleveland the Beautiful. Dr. Snell taught me all about Cleveland, gave me a hand-signed copy of his book, and one of the highlights of that tour was possibly getting a glimpse of the mayor – Mayor Tom Rowland – who went on to be the longest-serving mayor. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that  20 years later I would be the mayor people are looking for on those tours. 

I can and do still give those tours. I learned that from U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp who gives tours of the nation’s Capitol. I used to give tours of the Tennessee Capitol like he gives tours at the Washington Capitol. I still like to give people a little bit of a glimpse of what I used to do. Our downtown is both beautiful and historically significant. I love to talk about it.  

TT&C: You served in the Tennessee House of Representatives for more than a decade before running for mayor of Cleveland. What prompted you to leave the State House for the mayoral seat? What lessons from your work in the legislature did you take into the mayor’s office?  

KB: I had served for 12 years, and the Legislature used to be in session from January to July or August when I first got there. Now it’s from January to April or May. You’re there a long time and you’re away from your family, your friends. It was Mayor Rowland’s idea. He said he thought he was ready to step down and I was ready to step up and come home. He first asked me if I would do that in 2016, and I said no. I regretted it every day of the next two years. I asked him in 2018 if I could please reconsider, come home, and run for mayor. And God bless that. 

There are so many lessons from the State House. I think the greatest lesson is listening to your constituents. They are your boss. No one in the state capitol voted for you, I was reminded when I first got there. Your hometown that elected you is the center of the universe. My senator at the time [Dewayne] Bunch, now Judge Bunch and used to be Coach Bunch, would tell me, “God gave you two ears and only one mouth; you do the math.” That’s a very important lesson I brought home to Cleveland. 

TT&C: What is a typical day as Cleveland’s mayor like for you?  

KB: First of all, there is no average day in the life of a mayor. Every day is different, and I think that’s why it’s incredibly enjoyable. There is obviously day-to-day business of being mayor, but more importantly there is the role you have as chief listening officer. You are the ambassador of your city. You represent your city and your residents everywhere you go, which is why I love representing our city now as TML president all across the state.  

TT&C: There are about a dozen municipalities in the U.S. named Cleveland. What, in your opinion, makes Cleveland, Tenn., the superior Cleveland?  

KB: Our Cleveland is incredibly special because of its people. Our slogan for the city of Cleveland is “The City with Spirit,” and it continues to express itself as one of the most charitable, caring, and concerned cities in the U.S. It’s such an honor to be a part of this place.  

TT&C: What are some of the key accomplishments Cleveland has made under your tenure that you are most proud of?  

KB: Leaving Cleveland better than I found it, and making Cleveland better than it was when I got here makes me proud. All of the successes and all the successful projects we have been able to complete are really built upon the foundation of financial stability. Getting our financial house in order was the key, critical action taken by the city council.  

During the COVID era when cities were shutting down and businesses were shutting down, the city of Cleveland took it upon themselves to really do a deep dive with our finances, and refinance all of our debt. It’s not something that is a front page story, but we went from about 65% of variable debt – which means it goes up and down with the market – to now we are 95% fixed-rate. So, we know exactly what our monthly payments are and what our budgets are. It has made a tangible difference in the way we can invest in our infrastructure, public safety, and public education, and changed the way we do business.  

TT&C: What is the most challenging thing about serving as mayor, and what is it about the job that makes it worthwhile?  

KB: The No. 1 challenge is easy: time management. It’s hard to have enough hours in the day, especially when you’re in a part-time mayor’s role. Balancing your career, your family, and your faith, makes time management the struggle. But then you get a phone call or an email from a widow or a veteran who is need of help and you are able to facilitate and navigate those challenges to a successful outcome. Then all of the time management challenges disappear because you realize, for such a time as this, I am called to serve. Some people believe they are elected to serve, but I believe I was called to serve, and that makes all the difference.  

TT&C: What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing Tennessee municipalities?  

KB: Local control. We are living in a day where we are being told what is best for us, without being allowed for our own selves, our own Manifest Destiny, to determine what is best for our cities and municipalities.  

TT&C: What first prompted you to get involved with TML, and why has involvement with the League been important for you?  

KB: Obviously, TML is the voice of our cities and towns across Tennessee, the 345 municipalities that make up our great state. I wanted to have the voice of Cleveland at that table. The cities and towns of Tennessee are the tax and revenue generating engines of our state. Counties get all the credit; cities make all the money. It’s important that story is told.  

TT&C: What do you hope to accomplish in your role as TML president?  

KB: My goals for my service at TML is to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem. I want to take my more than decade of service in the General Assembly and help the cities and towns of Tennessee navigate the rapid changes in Nashville. I look forward to that challenge. I’m very grateful that I get this opportunity.