Candidates field voter questions at forum

Mayor, sheriff, county clerk, and Metro Council candidates answered voter questions ahead of July 17 early voting

10:48 a.m. June 28, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

More than 30 Moore County residents turned out Saturday morning at Moore County High School for a candidate forum featuring nine candidates on the Aug. 6 General Election ballot.

The Q&A gave voters a side-by-side look at candidates in several contested local races, including mayor, sheriff, county clerk, and Metro Council.

Both mayoral candidates attended: incumbent Sloan Stewart and challenger Keith Moses. Both sheriff candidates also participated: incumbent Tyler Hatfield and challenger William Raline.

The forum also included County Clerk challenger Kelly Woods Harrison; District 3 Metro Council candidate Chris Benson; District 2 Metro Council incumbent Robert Bracewell; and two District 5 Metro Council candidates, Regina Adcock and Brady Goodwin.

District 1 Metro Council member Shane Taylor, who is not up for re-election this year, also attended, along with Metro Moore County Public Safety Director Jason Deal.

Questions came from the room and from written submissions. They centered less on campaign slogans and more on the pressure points facing Moore County government: how to manage growth, pay for services, keep taxes in check, support public safety, and make county decisions easier for residents to follow.

Growth without losing the county

One of the morning’s central questions focused on how Moore County should handle population growth, subdivisions, and development while protecting the county’s rural character.

One question asked how the county can respond when family land is sold, divided, and developed into subdivisions that may strain infrastructure or change the look and feel of the community.

Stewart pointed to work done through the Planning and Zoning Commission in recent years, including larger minimum lot sizes in some areas. “Planning and Zoning has worked hard for the last four years to come up with plans to try to keep this land intact,” he said.

He added the county needs to follow its zoning rules and avoid “exemptions” that weaken the larger plan. “We have a book,” Stewart said. “Use the book.”

Moses also said growth must be managed carefully. “We need to control our growth,” Moses said. “We only have so much water capacity, so many EMS services, and other county services. We have to take care of our infrastructure.”

The issue came up again later when candidates were asked how Moore County can grow its tax base without losing the character that brought people here in the first place.

Goodwin said county leaders should start by asking what kind of development fits the area, what it would cost in services, and how it would affect the people who live nearby.

“You don’t want a big factory to come in and take up all your resources, take up all your utilities, and put a huge strain on your infrastructure,” Goodwin said.

He said he would rather see development that fits the area, creates solid jobs, and does not overwhelm local services.

The tax question

Several questions were rooted in how the county can offset rising property taxes and bring in more revenue.

It was noted that many Moore County residents do much of their major shopping outside the county, sending sales tax revenue to places such as Tullahoma, Fayetteville, Murfreesboro, and Huntsville. Others raised questions about whether more local business activity could help ease pressure on property owners.

The discussion included a possible 0.25 percentage-point local option sales tax increase, which would raise the sales tax that locals and visitors pay in Moore County from 9.5% to the state maximum of 9.75%. Supporters have framed it as a way to draw more revenue from the county’s visitor economy, particularly the reported 300,000-plus tourists who visit the Jack Daniel Distillery each year. The increase has been projected to generate about $65,000 to $85,000 a year.

Moore County voters rejected the proposal in August 2023 and again in November 2024.

Moses said he wants to make county information easier for citizens to find online, including agendas, permits, and other public information. “I’ve been talking about trying to get all of our meeting agendas and all the paperwork, trying to get your business license and all the permits and all online someplace that would be easily accessible to everyone,” he said.

On revenue, Moses pointed to the local option sales tax increase as one possible way to shift some of the burden away from property owners, especially because of Moore County’s visitor traffic.

Stewart said he had brought the sales tax issue to the council before, but it was defeated. “We all know that the majority of that sales tax is going to come from the tourists,” he said. “But it has been defeated.”

Bracewell said the county should look just as closely at spending as it does at revenue. “What I’ve seen is our expenditures increase above the rate of inflation significantly more than our revenue,” he said.

Bracewell noted property taxes have continued to rise and argued that county leaders should review expenses before asking residents for more. If the proposed FY2026-27 budget passes its second reading on Monday night, it will mark the 10th time in 12 years that property taxes have increased.

“Financial issues could be resolved if we actually look at the expenditures,” Bracewell said.

Adcock said she believes the county needs more options before defaulting to property taxes. “We need a way to make additional revenue, but we always need options,” she said.

Help wanted in public safety

Public safety also drew questions, including how the sheriff’s candidates would fight crime, keep crime down, and keep the community safe.

Raline said the goal is not to pretend crime can be eliminated, but to stay realistic about the problem and proactive in the response. “We’re never going to get rid of crime,” he said. “It’s just not going to happen. We’re not going to get rid of drugs.”

Later, candidates were asked whether citizens could volunteer to support the Sheriff’s Department or EMS.

Hatfield said the Sheriff’s Office has operated a reserve program for decades, but participation has declined in recent years. He said reserves have helped with special events, disaster response, road closures, weather events, and other needs.

“We welcome people that want to come here,” Hatfield said. “We want people to be involved in the Sheriff’s Office.”

Hatfield said the department currently has one reserve, Jason Charlton, who has served in that role for nearly 20 years.

“We want people to come and see what we do, to ride in the cars with us, to see the jobs that we do every day and understand that it’s more than what people see,” Hatfield said.

Raline said volunteer support could also include programs for inmates, first responders, and senior citizens. “There has to be a program to best deal with it so that your first responders – whether your Sheriff’s Department or your Fire Department or your EMS – have an outlet to talk,” hee said.

What one vote can do

Metro Council candidates were asked how one member of a 15-member body can make a difference.

Benson said council members have to ask questions, do research, and make informed decisions. “To do that, you have to ask questions,” he said. “Make the citizens informed, make yourself informed, do the research, and make the best decision for the county.”

Goodwin said a single council member can still influence the body by making decisions based on facts, not emotion. “Where I’ve landed is trying to have my decisions be data-driven rather than personal sentiments or emotionally driven,” he said.

Candidates also said diplomacy matters because council members must work with one another after elections are over.

“If you burn bridges down the first couple of minutes, nobody’s going to want to work with you,” Goodwin said.

The discussion also turned to council committees and whether they are functioning as they should.

Bracewell said committee work falls on the council members assigned to those committees. “It is their job, as part of their committee, to do their homework,” he said.

Adcock added the council should review how committees are scheduled and whether they should meet more regularly. “I definitely think there’s one thing that needs to be reviewed by the council,” she said.

Candidates were also asked about conflicts of interest. Several said they would step back from an issue if they had a direct or perceived conflict.

“If there’s a current conflict, or a perceived current conflict, or a potential current conflict,” Bracewell said, “I don’t want that, especially as a public person.”

Election dates ahead

• The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, July 7.

• Early voting for the Aug. 6 election begins Friday, July 17, and continues through Saturday, Aug. 1.

• The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Monday, July 27.

• Election Day is Thursday, Aug. 6.