[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6164296,"mediaKeyId","5429021-fe13ec3a7f55960cb61b24bf8d9a91ab","parentId",5429021,"title","Economic development, tourism partners report web and media reach; county marketing aims to convert visits to jobs","audioSeconds",384,"startMs",726000,"endMs",1110000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429021-fe13ec3a7f55960cb61b24bf8d9a91ab&start=726&end=1110","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429021-fe13ec3a7f55960cb61b24bf8d9a91ab/thumbnail_726000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6164296/Sullivan-County/Tennessee/Economic-development-tourism-partners-report-web-and-media-reach-county-marketing-aims-to-convert-visits-to-jobs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164296-35e37801ad59ff1890cb438fdfb94618/orig.mp4?Expires=1770851158&Signature=U1rs87kf0p~3xv7aNQHfoQM-ktbZbr3DBrCOcqTH6SA2A3CAl-pKMJWWtNCA8327dCmNGP7yf0kMOH2W~paKCzeFjkv0Xj1feWRG7f15G3LmZJ2z7FbBMKHn1mmqssOhmQyv-LC9DSIWOBecrqgMcNz14ZTnvApWRTdAeWJL6v0MHL12OJ7r6PUz~ooUjmqyC6q0PudY1s91FmX8pgqRhNoikAEivo6RGMeNpKd4MIhcr0p1w0ntcG8vp7XUs~M~Pa~JxndmhYKYbE4V0VwvyELUevKhT6ZCLYPiU41L8SDCmk8uCFkSSaDtsGZGsLyqKY8d3t6MGulspMh1bSpULA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sullivan County, TN","date","2025-07-18T13:33:53Z","article","Sullivan County received updates on economic development and tourism partnerships Thursday as county staff and a regional tourism representative reported digital engagement, outreach and ongoing site-development efforts.

Clyde Walker, introduced as the county's networks director, summarized recent business- and site-development work. Walker said he and a delegation met with U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty in Washington, D.C., to discuss a multi-year project and that county partners are pursuing foreign-trade zone status and private investment for an aerospace park. \"We've hosted several developers,\" Walker said, adding that the county and partners are following up with potential applicants and consultants.

Alicia Phelps, with the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, presented a quarterly marketing report under the county partnership. Key metrics Phelps cited included roughly 4,000 visits to a new county landing page in its first month, travel-trail pages that generated about 1.4 million views and 63,000 clicks between February and May, and Tri-Cities airport campaigns that produced more than 2.4 million ad placements with roughly 72,000 clicks and nearly 55,000 new users to regional pages. Phelps said the organization has distributed visitor guides in \"more than 590 locations\" across surrounding states and that a combined print run of visitor guides and magazines totaled about 185,000 copies.

Phelps said the tourism office is working on printed tear-off maps and \"trip ideas\" intended to promote rural sites outside the major hubs. She also described broadcast and streaming exposure through several outlets and a PBS segment rollout highlighting Sullivan County assets. When Commissioner Means asked about estimated visitor spending, Phelps said her materials did not include that figure but that \"typically we would see around $300 to $350 per day\" per visitor and that average stays were about 3.4 days.

Walker highlighted coordinated recruiting and trade outreach, including participation at an aerospace industry trade show and a recent Apex launch-and-learn event with the University of Tennessee CIS (as described in the presentation) aimed at helping local firms pursue government contracts. He also mentioned plans tied to the county's October red carpet tour to bring consultants and representatives from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to showcase county sites.

Why it matters: Commissioners heard that marketing and developer outreach are underway to translate visits and impressions into longer stays, contracted jobs and private investment. Phelps and Walker both described partnerships with local cities, Visit Kingsport and Explore Bristol, and with regional universities and economic development partners.

What commissioners asked: Commissioner Means asked Phelps to repeat the visitor-spend estimate; Commissioner Vanover thanked Phelps for including a local business in the presentation and asked for more detail about baseball-game promotions and MLB digital placements. Phelps said video spots of 5'30 seconds are running on mlb.com and the MLB app in advance of county-sponsored events.

Next steps: The tourism association plans photo and video shoots, fall-trip digital ads tied to a Speedway event and further collaborations with media influencers; county staff said they will continue follow-ups with developers who have expressed interest in foreign-trade-zone designation and in the aerospace park.

Provenance: topicintro excerpt: \"Next order, Alicia Phelps, Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association quarterly report. I invite you to come forward.\" topicfinish excerpt: \"On behalf of our partners in VISIT Kingsport and Explore Bristol, we appreciate your continued partnership and look forward to building on this foundation and success in the coming months.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Sullivan County Commission Meeting - 7/17/25","oneSentenceSummary","The county heard updates from Networks Director Clyde Walker and a quarterly report from Northeast Tennessee Tourism, which cited online and ad-impression metrics, targeted campaigns (Tri-Cities air markets), visitor-spend estimates and partnerships aimed at attracting developers and event tourism.","taxTitle","Sullivan County, Tennessee","taxId",3933,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6164301,"Sullivan County Commission adopts 2025–26 budget, sets total property tax rate at 1.6129 after wide public comment",1701,1545000,3246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429021-fe13ec3a7f55960cb61b24bf8d9a91ab&start=1545&end=3246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429021-fe13ec3a7f55960cb61b24bf8d9a91ab/thumbnail_1545000.jpg","/articles/6164301/Sullivan-County/Tennessee/Sullivan-County-Commission-adopts-202526-budget-sets-total-property-tax-rate-at-16129-after-wide-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6164301-2db17ddb512604d83d3ef65df690cbb6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770851158&Signature=pASNP3bc0miuta6B9ZbI~gPYVnN-n8hn-XEkaM8hNzXuXJd55JKHgPQUtdNHx1Sf2pUQtv-N-Oii4OyDmi7kVK1dIILsLzlbiXOq4t5FzuTVmYrGM05Pp6T2yO5hJ5xpgzpCy6L8TSKxK~h7RusabknmpgMm70Sjwr7YWuOIR1hB3SLyPKs~8z6pNRPJ1Eoc9A9YsUq0-exWvXTf2WH5zPbaGBrjyZWPqZYn1GmxanoGDw7ZCrt4QXO4gBq~9vv1xwtrNnUtM2Ca-8pKihU8UPfq0pBbZ9d9kXrDsJKpj7qoun9iNsDfSVEedHOaf9TlWeKO5s7t8RDANr9Dw6NLPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sullivan County commissioners on Thursday approved the county's fiscal 2025'126 appropriations and set a total property tax rate of 1.6129 after extended public comment and several amendments.

The commission voted to adopt the appropriations resolution (item 2), the nonprofit funding resolution (item 3) and the tax-levy resolution (item 1) in separate roll calls. The final tax breakdown adopted by the body allocated 0.63377 cents to the county general fund, 0.03728 cents to solid waste, 0.09071 cents to the highway fund, 0.59514 cents to the county school fund, 0.05100 cents to county capital projects and 0.02500 cents to debt service, for a total rate of 1.6129.

Why it matters: The meeting followed weeks of public concern about a countywide reassessment that increased home values for many residents and prompted dozens of callers and speakers at the commission meeting to urge commissioners not to raise tax rates. The final vote preserved the county's ability to meet obligations while narrowing debate over how to distribute revenue among funds.

Public comment highlighted local hardship and opposition to additional taxes. \"This isn't just a tax hike. It's a financial rip current that will sweep away the economic footing of thousands of your constituents,\" resident Eric Spicer told commissioners, referencing the reassessment numbers he said are affecting low-income families. James Kiser, speaking later, urged the commission to \"hold you accountable to wise, moral, and fiscally responsible decisions.\" Several other residents described individual assessment increases and urged commissioners to reject any tax increase.

Commissioners spent significant time debating two budgetary changes that drew public and internal attention. One amendment removed an $800,000 line-item appropriation for tourism from the lump-sum presentation in the budget document; sponsor Commissioner King and county staff said the change was intended to require quarterly appropriation steps rather than leave a single, unspecified appropriation in the resolution.

A second, more contentious track concerned funding for a new county position described in the meeting as the economic and community development director. Commissioners debated an amendment aimed at clarifying where that position's salary and benefits would be paid from and whether the commission must confirm future mayoral appointments to that post. County Attorney Dan Street cautioned the body about statutory limits on micromanaging elected officials' personnel, saying, \"You give the mayor so much money; he can hire five employees, he can pay them $20,000, or he can hire one employee and pay them $100,000.\" Street said the commission approves the amounts in the mayor's budget but that certain personnel changes may require later budget adjustments or resolutions.

Commissioner Zane Vanover proposed moving $75,000 from Planning & Zoning to the mayor's personnel budget to cover the new post while a job description and funding details are finalized. That proposed transfer failed in a roll call (9 yes, 13 no, 2 absent). The underlying appropriations resolution (item 2), as amended by its sponsor, passed on a roll call of 22 yes, 2 absent. The nonprofit funding resolution (item 3) passed by the same margin.

A separate amendment to set the tax levy was debated and refined on the floor before final adoption. Commissioner John Iverson proposed reducing the county's share (the general fund allocation) so the commission would adopt the certified total rate of 1.6129 while changing the internal allocation; that amendment carried and the overall tax resolution passed in the final roll call (22 yes, 2 absent).

Votes at a glance:
- Item 2 — Resolution authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2025'126 (amended to remove an $800,000 tourism appropriation and clarifying quarterly allocations): Passed, tally 22 yes, 2 absent.
- Item 3 — Resolution approving program funds for charitable/civic/nonprofit organizations for 2025'126 (as amended): Passed, tally 22 yes, 2 absent.
- Item 1 — Resolution fixing the 2025'126 tax levy (final adopted total rate 1.6129; general fund 0.63377): Passed, tally 22 yes, 2 absent.

What commissioners said: Commissioner King, sponsor of the appropriations resolution, said the amendment to remove the $800,000 line item was intended to \"clarify\" the use of tourism funds and to return quarterly allocation decisions to the commission. Commissioner Iverson urged caution on a tax increase and proposed the certified-rate allocation, arguing commissioners had already taken other revenue steps during the year and could hold the line on property taxes: \"I don't think we should raise taxes. I think we have enough money to sit back and watch it.\" County Attorney Dan Street repeatedly advised the body on the legal distinction between approving budget amounts and approving specific personnel decisions.

Next steps and context: Several speakers and commissioners asked for written clarifications about the new economic and community development director position, its job description and funding source; Commissioner Glover requested a written explanation from the chair and the county attorney about why one of his proposed amendments was ruled out of order. Commissioners and department heads signaled a desire to finalize outstanding detail in coming weeks. The commission adjourned after completing the regular calendar.

Provenance: topicintro excerpt: \"I make a motion to amend resolution 2025 dash o 6 dash 21 to remove the appropriation for account 5 8 1 dash 1 0 to, dash tourism to the amount of $800,000 as found on page 6 of the resolution.\" topicfinish excerpt (item 2 final vote): \"22 yes, 2 absent.\"","After more than two hours of public comment about reassessments, the Sullivan County Commission approved its fiscal 2025–26 appropriations and set the total property tax rate at 1.6129, with 0.63377 allocated to the county general fund. Votes on the budget, nonprofit funding and the tax resolution were adopted in separate roll calls.","actionData","errors"]

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Economic development, tourism partners report web and media reach; county marketing aims to convert visits to jobs

Sullivan County Commission adopts 2025–26 budget, sets total property tax rate at 1.6129 after wide public comment