Oosting centers District 3 campaign on growth

First-time candidate says residential development must not outpace the county’s roads, schools, and utilities.

7:45 p.m. July 16, 2026

With the 2026 Moore County elections approaching, the Observer is conducting one-on-one interviews with candidates who have officially qualified for office. Candidates are not given questions in advance and have no input on the final written coverage. As part of the Observer’s commitment to independent, fact-based reporting, campaign letters or promotional submissions from candidates are not accepted.

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DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

John Oosting’s decision to run for Metro Council began with a question from a friend.

Oosting had been talking about his opposition to the county’s large solar development when the friend asked what he had done about it. Had he contacted his council members? Had he attended meetings? Had he spoken publicly?

The answer was no.

That conversation pushed Oosting, a first-time political candidate, to seek one of the three District 3 seats on the Metro Council.

“It’s too late to do anything about the solar farms, but maybe I can make an impact to positively help Moore County,” Oosting said. “The future of Moore County really is in our hands currently, and I just want to make sure that the county goes in the right direction.”

Oosting was born and raised in Lynchburg and graduated from Moore County High School. After high school, he served four years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and another 10 years in the National Guard. He has worked primarily as a mechanic throughout his adult life.

He lives in Hurdlow and has three children enrolled in Moore County Schools. Oosting said that gives him a personal stake in the county’s long-term direction.

Much of his campaign centers on growth and whether Moore County’s roads, schools, and utilities can keep pace with new development.

Oosting pointed specifically to the local water system. He said continued residential construction could eventually require expensive infrastructure projects that place a long-term financial burden on the county and its residents.

“People have to live somewhere, but you have to have a better idea of how the county needs to grow so that we’re not outgrowing what we already have and putting ourselves into a lot of debt,” he said.

Oosting said he supports economic development but believes county leaders should pursue businesses that generate tax revenue without placing heavy demands on local utilities.

Warehousing or similar low-impact commercial operations could be a better fit than industries requiring large amounts of water or major public infrastructure upgrades, he said.

He also wants to take an active role in the county’s development of the next 20-year land use and transportation plan.

“At the rate that people are moving to Tennessee as a whole, you’re looking at changing Moore County from what it has been to what everybody around us is,” Oosting said. “That’s not necessarily where I think we need to be.”

Oosting said the loss of farmland to subdivisions is among the county’s most pressing concerns. Although new homes add to the property tax base, he questions whether that revenue covers the increased demand on roads, schools, emergency services, and utilities.

“I don’t know what the return on investment for the county is by bringing in more houses at the rate it’s going,” he said.

Oosting said landowners should be able to farm their property or provide land for family members to build homes. He believes the county should take a harder look, however, when developers purchase large tracts and divide them into as many residential lots as possible.

He also rejected the argument that the Metro Council has little choice but to approve developments that meet basic planning requirements.

“I think there are things that we should, as a council, vote against,” Oosting said. “I’m not saying that everything needs to be voted against. You have to look at it.”

Planning and Zoning officials may determine whether a proposal follows existing regulations, he said, but the Metro Council must decide whether a development is in the county’s best interest.

Oosting said continued subdivision development can also make it difficult for working farmers to purchase neighboring land. Developers can often pay more for land because residential development can generate higher returns than farming or livestock raising.

As a newcomer to politics, Oosting acknowledged that he does not have a voting record to present to residents. He said that also allows him to bring a different perspective to the council.

“The only thing that I have is just an outside perspective,” he said. “I’ve never done this before.”

Oosting said his ultimate goal is to help build a county where his children will see a future for themselves after they graduate.

“I hope that we can improve the county to the point where my kids don’t want to move off as soon as they graduate school and never come back,” he said.

Election information

Early voting runs from Friday, July 17, through Saturday, Aug. 1. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Monday, July 27. The Moore County General Election is Thursday, Aug. 6.