Tennessee Town & City - Tennessee Municipal League

Tennessee municipalities celebrate America 250

From fireworks to parades to military re-enactments, municipalities across Tennessee held unique hometown celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary.

TML announces 2026 Achievement Award winners

The Tennessee Municipal League is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 TML Annual Achievement Awards. The awards will be presented at the 86th Annual Conference of the Tennessee Municipal League...

Workers at Chattanooga EPB's quantum networking facility are among those leading the way toward the state's quantum futre. Already a key partner in the EPB Quantum Network, EPB Has partnered with IonQ finalize the installation of the Forte Enterprise Quantum Computer and is already working to develop practical applications for securing and optimizing the power grid and training EPB Quantum Computing Fellows to build a local quantum-ready workforce. (Photo by EPB)

Tennessee takes a quantum leap toward emerging technology

Forget Silicon Valley. Tennessee leaders expect American’s new Quantum Valley to be in the Volunteer State.

From left to right, TML President and Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic, TML Executive Director Anthony Haynes, TML 2nd Vice President and Lawrenceburg Mayor Blake Lay, and TML 1st Vice President and Cleveland Mayor Brooks participate in the June TML Board meeting.

TML Board of Directors holds June meeting in Nashville

The Tennessee Municipal League Board of Directors met on June 11, 2026, at the offices of Spencer Fane in Nashville.

News Across Tennessee

Four municipalities obtain Tennessee Main Street Status

Four Tennessee municipalities have been accepted into the Tennessee Main Street Program, joining 50 municipalities across the State.

Crossville and Newport were officially approved in September 2025 while Springfield and Loudon joined in May 2026. Tennessee Main Street communities are designated...

Thompson's Station receives grant for EV chargers

The town of Thompson’s Station is one of the four recipients of the second round of grantees under the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) Office of Energy Programs Fast Charge TN Network. Thompson’s Station has been awarded approximately $234,000 to purchase and install...

Pigeon Forge announces LeConte Center redevelopment

Pigeon Forge city officials recently unveiled plans to expand the multi-purpose LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge. The project includes an additional 58,000 square feet, with 33,000 square feet specifically earmarked for exhibit space. The city-owned event center will remain open and host events during...

Pleasant View unveils park improvements

Officials with Pleasant View recently cut the ribbon on improvements to Pleasant View Community Park. New upgrades include a modern playground system, paved walking paths, picnic pavilions, restrooms, and combination pickleball and tennis courts. The improvements are part of the city’s park master...

Three cities share in site development grants

State site grants were awarded to three municipalities as part of 10 development projects recently selected for funds by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

Lewisburg received $10,000 for due diligence on the Interstate 65 Commerce Park, Sparta received $71,280 for due...

Dandridge cuts ribbon on new greenway

Officials in Dandridge recently cut the ribbon on a new half-mile greenway overlooking Douglas Lake. The $118,530 project was partially financed through a $82,971 Tourism Enhancement Grant. It is also part of more than $1.4 million in parks and recreation projects currently in the works, including a...

People

Memphis Mayor Paul Young announces leadership team changes

Memphis Mayor Paul Young has announced three major leadership appointments.

Chris Winston has been selected as the city’s new chief operating officer. Winston comes to the city with 35 years of executive leadership experience, including roles at FedEx, Tesla, and Comcast. He also presently serves on...

Joshua Pierce

Joshua Pierce has been selected as the new chief of police for the town of Greeneville. Pierce was selected from a national pool of candidates and has more than 18 years in law enforcement experience with the Greeneville Police Department. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in his career...

Dick Phebus

Dick Phebus will retire as finance director for the city of Bartlett after 15 years with the city. Phebus joined Bartlett in 2011 as the assistant finance director and assumed the role of finance director the following year. Prior to joining the city, he had more than 30 years’ experience in local...

Mike Palazzolo

Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo will step down from the role in December, announcing he does not intend to seek re-election. Palazzolo first served as an alderman from 2004 to 2014, during which time he also served as vice mayor. After his election as mayor in 2014, he oversaw numerous milestones in...

Bill Cowan

Bill Cowan, former Winchester city councilman, died Monday, June 8, 2026, at the age of 81. A U.S. Army National Guard veteran, Cowan retired after 30 years at BellSouth. He was first elected to the Winchester City Council in 1989, serving two terms. He continued to be involved in numerous city...

Matt Slagle

Matt Slagle has been selected as the new city manager of Bristol from a pool of 52 applicants submitted nationwide. Slagle has been serving as a councilmember since October 2025 when he was appointed to the east district seat vacated by the departure of former mayor Mark Hutton. His appointment was...

State Briefs

First Certified Population Reports now available

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) has released the 2026 Certified Population of Tennessee Incorporated Municipalities and Counties.

Patriot Paths showcases Tennessee's Revolutionary history

The Tennessee State Library & Archives (TSLA) has unveiled an upgraded website allowing Tennesseans to trace Revolutionary War veterans who migrated to the state following the war.

The website, Patriot Paths: Mapping Tennessee’s American Revolution Pension Applications, is an interactive digital...

TEMA announces name change, department transition

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has become the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA) has transitioned to a standalone cabinet-level department. TEMA was previously housed in the Department of Military. As i new standalone department, officials said TEMA will have better ability...

FHWA announces ATTAIN grants open until July 27

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Tennessee Division is reminding potential applicants of upcoming deadlines for the ATTAIN Competitive Grant Program.

The program funds the deployment, installation, and operation of advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency...

TDEC announces consolidation, renaming of divisions

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has consolidated the Division of Remediation and Division of Solid Waste Management into the new Division of Land Protection (DLP). The Division of Remediation and Division of Solid Waste will now be referred to as the Division of Land...

TDOE unveils TCAP assessment scores

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has released the state-level overview and the full 2025-26 TCAP assessment data to the public. These results include English Language Arts, mathematics, and social students but not science, which is in a standard-setting year. According to the results, 42...

TML Updates

DRA announces grant opportunities for West Tennessee cities

DOJ extends online ADA compliance deadline for municipalities

DRA announces workforce grants

TDEC opens BRAG grant cycle

Restore Return Relief Advocacy