Mayor and Board of Commissioners
Sweetwater is a home-rule municipality governed by a Mayor an Board of Commissioners. The Mayor and five Commissioners are elected in Citywide election every two years for four-year staggered terms. Three Commissioners are elected in one election cycle and the Mayor and two Commissioners in the other cycle.

Each Commissioner is designated to be in charge of a City Department during an organizational meeting following each biennial election. The Commissioners also designate one of their number to serve as Vice-Mayor. The Board is presently organized as follows:

James H. Stutts	Bill Stockton	James Matoy	David M. Cleveland	Tommy Haun	Billy G. West

The City Recorder is hired by and responsible to the Mayor and Board of Commissioners. Her office also includes the City Clerk and an Administrative Secretary. Major responsibilities of the Recorder's Office include:

• chief financial officer of the City
• human resources administrator
• collect all City taxes and fees
• clerk of the City
• recorder of Commission meetings and actions
• repository of all official City records
• grant application

For Information on 2006 Property Taxes and Tax Relief for the elderly or disabled, please contact City Hall.

Sweetwater Fire/Rescue is a combination department with thirteen full-time and fourteen volunteer firefighters. One fire hall is located in the downtown area of Sweetwater and a second is located in the northeastern quadrant of the City. The second fire hall also houses a 24-hour per day EMS ambulance service crew and a permanent on-site crew for UT/Lifestar helicopter transport.

All full-time firefighters are certified as First Responders. Public education programs and service programs for children and the elderly are important work of the firefighters. Their hard work and commitment is evident in the City's Class 5 ISO rating.

Doug Watson Fire Chief	Tommy Haun Fire/Rescue Commissioner

This personnel also sever as support staff to the Historic Zoning Commission, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and the Tree Board. Much of the City's grant activity is coordinated through the office. They also administer the safety program of the City. The tourism department, led by Commissioner David M. Cleveland, has redesigned the city brochures, which are placed at the Welcome Centers throughout the State and at Sweetwater's I-75 Welcome Center. For questions about building permits, Planning and Development, or other planning and development issues, please email the Planning and Development department or call 423-337-9678.

	David M. Cleveland Planning and Development Commissioner

The employees of the Street Department maintain and service all public streets and alleys in the City. They are also involved with the planning and constructing of new streets and paving projects. Brush and demolition collection and disposal, streetscape maintenance and improvement, a household oil reclamation project, and animal control enforcement are other areas where the Streets Department works hard every day to improve our City. A storm water improvement project is the newest undertaking of the Streets Department and will occupy much of their time in the coming year.

For information on brush and demolition materials pick-up, please contact the City Garage at 423-337-7225.

For problems with animals running at large in the City Limits, or for information on free pet adoptions, please contact City Hall at 423-337-6979.

Richard Jenkins Street Superintendent	Billy G. West Streets Commissioner

• baseball fields
• football stadiums
• basketball courts
• walking trails
• public stages

• soccer fields
• tennis courts
• swimming pools
• picnic facilities
• meeting rooms

Related Links
Sweetwater Dixie Youth Baseball
American Youth Soccer Association

This department also keeps busy by maintaining all city buildings. We anticipate that the next several years will bring major renovations and additions to our parks and recreation facilities.

Greg Newman Parks & Recreation Director	James Matoy Parks & Recreation Commissioner

The Sweetwater Police Department, headed by Police Chief Eddie Byrum is a proactive force in the Sweetwater Community. Assistant Chief Mike Jenkins helps direct the department, which is made up of 16 full-time officers, 11 auxiliary and part-time officers, and 2 TIBRS certified clerks. All full-time officers are post-certified, radar certified, CPR certified, and required to attend 40 hours of in-service training annually, with special instruction in their chosen fields.

Patrol Captain Gary Newman facilitates training programs, is a child seat technician, and along with the 3 patrol sergeants, helps direct the 12-hour patrol shifts. The department includes D.U.I. Instructor, Brandon Cansler, Patrol Sergeant, Kevin Watson; a domestic violence instructor, Sergeant John Brewster; 5 CPR instructors; 2 PR-24 instructors; a 5-man seasonal bike patrol unit; and an ESU team for tactical and high-risk operations. Sergeant Detective John Scruggs and Detective Bill Illingworth head investigations; David Lewallen is a full-time School Resource Officer (See picture at right). The K-9 division hinges on SPD's drug dog, a Dutch Sherpard named Luca and his handler, Patrolman Nick Ferrell. Sergeant Marty Kyle serves as the Drug Officer.

Numerous educational programs include bike safety, the Eddie Eagle gun safety program, several drug awareness programs, and the Stranger Danger program. The detectives head up the Fingerprint America program, which provides child identification kits for local school children. The department also sponsors the Explorers program, headed by Sergeant Kris King, which trains teens and young adults, ages 14-20, who are interested in police work.

Sweetwater citizens make up several programs supervised by the SPD. There are currently 9 participating Neighborhood Watch programs. SPD has a Citizen's Police Academy, which is a 10-week training program, held in the Spring and Fall annually, to give citizens an inside look at the SPD. Graduates may become members of the Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association, which is headed by its President Beth Collins, and SPD liaison, Kenny Wilkins. The Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association assists the SPD with citywide functions, such as parades, festivals, and car shows. They also assist in the organization of the nationally award-winning "2006 National Night Out" program.

The Sweetwater Police Department is a major force in the effort to make Sweetwater a wonderful place to raise a family.

Related Links A Child Is Missing Alert Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Tennessee Meth Watch Tennessee Sexual Offender Registry Family Watchdog Tennessee Amber Alert SPD's 2006 Toys for Kids Drive Det. Scruggs Makes I.D. Kits of Local Children