TCSA Fall Conference Registration Now Available

We are excited to announce that TCSA’s highly anticipated 2024 Annual Conference & Trade Show is just around the corner! Mark your calendars for October 23 - 25, 2024, and join us at Embassy Suites in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro), Tennessee, for an exceptional event filled with opportunities to network, learn, and innovate at the county government level.

Registration Details:

• Conference Registration: Ensure your spot by registering on the TCSA website. 
• You can also print a paper registration form and mail it to the TCSA office at 226 Anne Dallas Dudley Blvd, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219.  
  • Conference registration costs
    • TCSA County Officials: $375
    • Other conference registrants: $400
    • Spouses/Guests: $100
• On-site registration is available, but space is limited. We encourage early registration to guarantee your participation and proper name badge availability.

TCSA 2024 County Success Story Nominations Now Open

• an innovative solution to a county's problem
• a sustained pattern of excellence in government
• a best practice that increased efficiency in the delivery of county services or resulted in significant savings to taxpayers 
• a new approach or the use of new technology to deliver services or
• Improved cooperation or coordination between county offices or local governments, which resulted in enhanced delivery of services.

'Tennessee Counties' Magazine Digital Edition is Now Available

The digital edition of Tennessee Counties Magazine is now available! The summer 2024 edition focuses on disaster mitigation for county leaders, including feature stories of courageous community leaders who have navigated recent disasters, as well as insight and trends on the latest disaster mitigation planning tools for counties.

Physical copies will be hitting mailboxes, too, but there's a digital copy of each edition of TN Counties magazine to help members, partners, and government officials at all levels better understand the role of county government in Tennessee.

Tennessee County Election Results

Voters across the state went to the polls yesterday. For TCSA members, this was mainly a year for some of the county highway superintendents to be on the ballot. Most of these races were settled earlier in the year during the county primary elections, but there were a few contested elections decided yesterday.

In Lewis County, Kerry Cagle, who was previously appointed to the position following Joyce Holt's retirement, defeated a write-in challenger to win a new term. Likewise, in Roane County, incumbent Dennis Ferguson held off...

State Legislative Races See Some Surprising Defeats

Half of the State Senate and all of the House of Representative offices were on the ballot yesterday in state primary elections. There were some surprising defeats of long-serving legislators in both chambers.

In the Senate, Education Committee Chairman John Lundberg lost a hotly contested election to challenger Bobby Harshbarger, the son of Congresswoman Harshbarger. In the 8th District, Jessie Seal defeated long-time legislator Senator Frank Niceley. In other districts, Republican incumbents Becky Massy, Todd Gardenhire, Ken Yager, Ferrell Haile, and John Stevens fended off primary challengers.

On the Democratic side, Senator Sara Kyle...

Memphis-Shelby County Schools Receives Over $9.5 Million in Funding Under Renew America’s Schools Program

U.S. DOE recently announced recipients of the 2022-2023 Renew America’s Schools Program to promote the implementation of clean energy improvements at K-12 public schools across the country to decrease energy use and costs, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools was one of the twenty-four schools selected and will receive over $9.5 million for Riverview Elementary and Middle School.

The school, which serves over 400 K-8 grade students and is a community shelter for the surrounding neighborhood, will utilize the funding toward improvements, including energy-efficient lighting and HVAC upgrades, boiler plant electrification, new exterior windows, and a solar array. 

CTAS Trainings:

• August 28, 2024 - Knoxville UT Conference Center
• September 3, 2024 - Nashville IPS Training Facility @ Polk Ave.

• September 3, 2024 - Knoxville UT Conference Center
• September 5, 2024 - Dickson County Extension Office
• November 12, 2024 - Jackson Energy Authority

RetireReadyTN Employer Webinar on 2024 Legislative Updates, Aug.14

RetireReadyTN will offer an employer meeting next month to provide updates on legislation impacting retirement plans.

Registration is now open for the webinar scheduled from 9 - 10:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday, August 14.

Who should attend:  Local Government employers, including Municipal and County governments, Highway Departments, Utility Districts, 911 Districts, Development Districts, Housing Authorities, Boards of Education, Higher Education agencies, Local Education agencies, and School System employers.

Seasonal Employment Changes Impact June 2024 County Unemployment Rates

NASHVILLE – Seasonal changes in employment that occur annually, such as school breaks, caused Tennessee’s county unemployment numbers to increase in June, according to new data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

Unlike the statewide unemployment rate, at an all-time low in Tennessee, county unemployment rates are not adjusted to take into account seasonal impacts.

June’s data showed unemployment rates increased in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties during the month. Eighty-two counties had unemployment rates less than 5% in June, while the remaining 13 counties had 5% or greater rates but less than 10%.