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Jerry Stout

Commissioner District 8Appointed to the 8th District seat and sworn in Mar 18, 2024 (Elizabethton Star 2024-03-19); present at Jan-Mar 2026 Commission meetings (minutes roll calls); not a candidate in the Aug 6 2026 certified results; term ended August 31, 2026 when successors' terms began September 1 per CTAS (mayor page quote; statute text not read).

No biography on file yet.

At a glance

News mentions
0

Term ending Aug 31, 2026.

Want every word Stout has said?

The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Stout said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.

Top issues during term (20)

critical↓Jan 2026[20]

Hurricane Helene Recovery Funding

$1.5 million from the Helene Bond, with no FEMA reimbursement expected.

high↓Apr 2026[11]

Folsom House Future

Demolition or restoration costs aren't budgeted; a professional assessment estimate was said to be near $1 million.

medium↑Jan 2026[11]

Landfill capacity

You will save time and potential hauling fees since you won't have to drive as far to dump construction and demolition waste.

high↓Mar 2026[8]

White Rock Tower access road cost overruns

Adds $855,800 to the project — nearly tripling the original bid — with $602,877.81 from ARP funds and $252,923 from fund balance.

high↓Jul 2026[7]

Peters Cemetery Road Renaming

Minor costs for signage and address updates for the few affected residents.

critical↓Jun 2026[7]

County Budget Amendments Totaling Over $9.5 Million

More than $9.5 million across funds, mostly from existing fund balances rather than reserves.

high↓Jan 2026[6]

Schaus Professional Services contract dispute

Final payment of $28,348.15; ending the contract stops ongoing consultant fees.

low↓Aug 2026[5]

EMS Firefighter Program Update

high↓Aug 2026[5]

School Funding Boost

About $6.7 million total in school fund amendments, with $1.5 million coming from the county's unassigned fund balance.

high↓Aug 2026[5]

One-Year Moratorium on AI Data Centers and Crypto Mining

No direct cost to taxpayers — the cost is a one-year wait before any data center or crypto operation could set up here.

medium↓Feb 2026[3]

Tourism Partnership Performance

Hotel occupancy tax dollars fund the contract; NETTA projects a 21-to-1 return and $1.8 million annually in local sales tax from visitors.

high↓May 2026[2]

Hampton High School Flood Wall Gap

Potential property damage from localized flooding could hit homeowners and local infrastructure with unexpected repair bills.

medium↓May 2026[2]

Roan Mountain Community Parks Rebuild

A $55,000 grant supports the main trail rebuild, with Tennessee funding possibly arriving in Q3 2026 and construction by summer 2027.

low↓May 2026[2]

Rezoning 110 Rex Harrell Road

medium↓May 2026[2]

Carter County Middle College Program

The program is fully funded at no cost to students and their families.

medium↓May 2026[2]

County Radio Communications System

The White Rock site lease costs the county nothing, and the lease runs through 2054.

medium↓Feb 2026[2]

National Guard recognition dispute

$10,000 from the Sheriff's Inmate Phone Reserves.

low↓Jul 2026[2]

Animal Shelter Donations Accepted

Adds $6,456 in community-donated resources for animal care without touching the county budget.

high↓May 2026[2]

Tweetsie Trail Expansion Master Plan

The trail build is estimated at $22.6 million total; the county holds a $6.3 million state grant that must be used for the trail or returned.

low↓Jun 2026[2]

C. Grindstaff Road Speed Limit

Minor signage costs only.

Decisions during term (215)

Recorded while Stout was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Approval of Agenda

approved19-0-2Aug 17, 2026

Acceptance of July 20, 2026 Meeting Minutes

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Approval of Notaries & Bonds

approved19-2Aug 17, 2026

Payment to Schaus Professional Services, Invoice #80326

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Courthouse Audio Equipment Installation, $24,745

approved20-1Aug 17, 2026

Resolution Authorizing Four Year Interfund Capital Outlay Notes up to $795,000

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

White Rocks Tower Site Access Road Change Order, $855,800

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

County Fund Budget Amendment 101-2, $306,584.40

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Solid Waste Fund Budget Amendment 116-2, $815,022.45

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Helene Bond Fund Budget Amendment 180-2, $741,187.88

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

General Purpose School Fund Budget Amendment 141-1, $1,588,419

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

School Federal Projects Fund Budget Amendment 142-1, $3,495,207.01

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Head Start, Education Capital, and Animal Shelter Donations

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Roan Mountain Recreation Foundation Entertainment Funding, $3,300

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Catalis Courts and Land Records Contract for Circuit Court Software

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Kellwell Food Management Contract for Sheriff's Detention Center

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

TDOT Litter Grant Program Contract

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Recommend Termination of Schaus Professional Services Contract

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

Short-Term Professional Services Agreements for Helene Road Recovery

approved21-0Aug 17, 2026

County Property Surplus Declarations and Property Transfers

Voting record (26)

23 yes1 no2 abstained

Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.

AbstainedMar 16, 2026

approve the Transfer of Property from the Sheriff’s Office to the Medical Death Investigator dated 02/10/2026

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Approval of agenda as amended

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Acceptance of February 17, 2026 meeting minutes

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Approval of notaries and bonds

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Defer 8th District Board of Education appointment to April 20

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Emergency & Rescue Squad weekday pilot program

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

RK&K Poga Bridge 1 construction engineering inspection addendum

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

RK&K Poga Bridge 2 construction engineering inspection addendum

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

White Rocks Tower Site Access Road bid process

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Payment to Schaus Professional Services, Invoice #22762 ($18,232)

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Payment to Schaus Professional Services, Invoice #22662 ($3,120)

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

County Fund Budget Amendment 101-9

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Solid Waste Fund Budget Amendment 116-6

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Health Department Fund Budget Amendment 117-2

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Highway Fund Budget Amendment 131-6

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

General Purpose School Fund Budget Amendment 141-8

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

School Federal Projects Fund Budget Amendment 142-5

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Head Start Fund Budget Amendment 145-2

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Education Capital Project Fund Budget Amendment 177-3

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Animal Shelter monetary and non-monetary donations

AbstainedMar 16, 2026

Transfer of property from Sheriff's Office to Medical Death Investigator

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Nova Tech contract addendum for Sheriff's Office copier

Voted yesMar 16, 2026

Lease agreement for UT Extension Office at 129 Judge Don Lewis Blvd

Voted yesFeb 17, 2026

approve the agenda as amended

Voted yesJan 20, 2026

Approval of Agenda with Additions

Voted noJan 20, 2026

Motion to Terminate Schaus Professional Services Contract