Moore Government: Mayor

HALEY PAYNE ROBERTS
MCO Senior Staff Writer

When thinking about a town’s mayor, one often pictures the cookie-cutter images from news stories or movies: suits and ties, paperwork, and other very official duties required to govern a community.

However, those images are far too formal and not nearly as welcoming as the office of Moore County Mayor Sloan Stewart. You never know who you will see visiting or what you might learn from stopping in. It may be about what is going on at the next council meeting, how much cows are bringing at the sale barn, or when the first spring hay cutting will begin. Either way, you’re bound to walk away with some information you hadn’t been privy to before.

Stewart’s roots are in public service, which has helped him develop the skills needed to succeed as mayor.

“I’m the son of educators. My mom was a home economics teacher here. My dad taught in Franklin County and became the superintendent in Moore County in 1985. I was born and raised here, finished high school here, and went to Motlow,” Stewart said.

“I graduated from MTSU with an industrial management degree in economics and finance. Then, I came back home and worked for myself after graduating. I did a lot of contracting and stayed on the farm. I still farm 500 acres for family and rent another 400 or 500 acres.”

Stewart has served more than 10 years as mayor, though his experience in county government extends far beyond the position.

“I was elected to the Metro Council in 2002. I was appointed the Solid Waste Director for the county in 2006. In 2009, I was appointed by the Metro Council to finish out Mrs. Peggy Gattis’ [mayoral] term. I successfully ran for re-election in 2010 and 2014,” he said.

“I stepped out in 2018 to run for a state representative position. At that time, it was for the district including Moore, Franklin, and Marion. I lost that. I ran again for mayor in 2022, and here I am.”

There are many facets to Stewart’s position, some of which are unique because of Moore County’s size.

“The mayoral capacity of Metro government in Metropolitan Lynchburg-Moore County is pretty well the financial director for the county. It handles what we call county generals – urban services, solid waste, debt service, and capital projects. I don’t oversee the highway or the schools; they have their own budgets,” Stewart explained.

“There are a lot of other activities that go along with it in a small town. Everybody knows everybody, and there are all kinds of odd jobs you do from the mayor’s seat. There’s not a book anywhere that can tell you what you have to do or how to do it. It’s the little things that come with being small.”

Stewart emphasized that small-town life sets the tone for his position, and the feel of a close-knit community makes it that much more special.

“Being in a small town, we’ve got a great place. If there are ever any disasters or crises, the small-town people band together to help their neighbors. That’s just part of the atmosphere. When worst comes to worst, they all rally to support one another. I don’t think you get that in larger areas. We’re rural, and that’s one of the great things about being here,” he said.

“The unity of people when they bond in both good and bad times is a special thing.”

As Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home!” – something Stewart will readily tell the local newspaper and The Wall Street Journal alike.

“I lived in Murfreesboro for four or so years when I was in school, and you can tell the difference. It’s just not the same as the hometown where you pretty well know the majority of people. It’s one of those feelings that’s hard to describe unless you’ve lived it and have seen the hands-on workings,” he said.

“Several years ago, I had a journalist from The Wall Street Journal in New York do an interview on Metro government. He apologized when he first got here because he could not understand how a small rural community had a Metro government. He also noticed after coming here how the small towns bond together and how hard it is to explain. There’s just no way to define the uniqueness of a small county.”

Along with his mayoral and agricultural duties, Stewart is also an avid sports fan. Depending on the season, there is always talk of who will win the end-of-season championship, whether it’s the SEC Championship, the Super Bowl, or the World Series.

In the midst of March Madness each year, he is always ready for a little friendly bracket competition. Stewart’s 2025 championship pick?

“Houston!” Stewart exclaimed.

We’ll see!