Tennessee Town & City - Tennessee Municipal League

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.

WET Center aims to innovate resilient infrastructure solutions

A new state-run facility aims to give public works, city planning, emergency services, and municipal leaders a better understanding of how water can impact public infrastructure and public safety.

News Across Tennessee

Hygrade to expand Mount Pleasant operations

Hygrade Components C will expand its operations through a strategic, long-term lease commitment in Mount Pleasant. The company will invest more than $1.6 million to create more than 30 new jobs at its North Main Street location. The expansion will add 100,000 square feet to an existing plant that...

Dolly Parton opens themed truck stop in Cornersville

Country music legend Dolly Parton joined local officials to open a renovated travel stop in Cornersville. Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop offers a coffee shop, barbecue, ice cream shop, full-service restaurant, general store, dog park, and fuel and electric vehicle charging areas with a Dolly Parton...

ADA accessibility improvements slated for Hendersonville park

A new project will add more accessibility to Hendersonville’s Sanders Ferry Greenway. The project will focus on the area surrounding the park lot at Spade Leaf Boulevard and Sanders Ferry Road, improving erosion issues by regrading a slope and reseeding. Curbing along the parking areas, ADA...

Gallatin employs new device to aid in water rescues

The Gallatin Fire Department has acquired a new piece of equipment that will aid in underwater rescues. The handheld sonar system – AquaEye PRO – allows rescuers to more clearly see to the bottom of rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water more quickly than relying on divers. Sonar signal from the...

Townsend launches new smart phone app

A new smartphone app will help Townsend residents report non-emergency issues, allowing the city to tackle issues such as potholes, broken streetlights, and missed garbage collection. Residents are able to include photo attachments to help better describe situations. Additionally, the calendar...

ORNL unveils new quantum computer

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has unveiled the new 20 qubit IQM Pathfinder, a new quantum computer that outperforms even the most powerful supercomputers in the world. Able to multitask and perform multiple calculations at once, the computer will help researchers solve complex equations...

People

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...

Tyler Williams

Tyler Williams has been selected as the acting town manager of Mount Carmel after Town Manager Jim Stables accepted the position of fire rescue chief for Brevard County, Fla. Williams has served as Mount Carmel’s assistant town manager since 2024 and will oversee the town’s day-to-day operations...

State Briefs

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...

Tennessee ranks sixth in nation for heart disease risk

Health officials are shining a light on heart disease with Tennessee ranking as the state with the sixth highest heart disease mortality rate. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found heart disease is the leading contributing factor for death in most Americans and...

Tennessee May 2026 unemployment remains steady

Tennessee’s May unemployment rate remained unchanged from 3.6% for the fourth consecutive month. Data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) indicates the rate was also above the 3.5% rate recorded in May 2025. Tennessee’s unemployment rate remains below the...

Tennessee May 2026 revenues $227.2M above estimates

Tennessee revenues exceeded budgeted estimates for the month of May.

Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson reported that total May tax revenues were $1.9 billion, $227.2 million more than the budgeted estimate and $244.7 million more than May 2025. The total tax growth...

THP announces reaccreditation

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security is proud to announce that the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) has been awarded its Fifth Accreditation Award by the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. This accreditation is granted for a three‑year period, extending through June 2030...

Tennessee becomes first state in nation with nuclear fusion framework

Tennessee has become the first state in the nation with its own regulatory framework for nuclear fusion machines. The technology-neutral approach to fusion regulation taps into more than 60 years of resources and experience from its involvement as a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Agreement...

TML Updates

DRA announces grant opportunities for West Tennessee cities

DOJ extends online ADA compliance deadline for municipalities

TWRA announces Clean Stream Grant openings

DRA announces workforce grants

TDEC opens BRAG grant cycle

Restore Return Relief Advocacy