Sparta
Sparta’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen held its final meeting of the calendar year and worked quickly through the agenda Thursday.
In their first order of business, the board approved a resolution calling for a city election, to be held Aug. 6, 2026. Sparta residents and property owners will be voting for three aldermen as well as mayor, all of whom will serve four-year terms once elected. Candidates for the position have not been announced.
The board approved donating $120,000 to the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport. The funds are one-fourth of the matching amount needed for a grant to purchase 61 acres of land for an airport expansion project. White and Putnam Counties, along with the city of Cookeville, will each be responsible for funding equal amount toward the matching grant.
The city agreed to solicit bids for tree trimming services for the electric department. Big and Tall Tree Services, the company currently contracted by the city, provided a written notice that they would be terminating their contract effective Jan. 12, 2026.
It was also agreed the city would seek out auction services to dispose of surplus and obsolete items. While the city has been listing items on the GovDeals website, the decision to move in a different direction was made due to an excess of items, including guns, accumulated through the LESO program.
The aldermen approved the hiring of a new police officer and a new reserve officer for the city’s police department before reviewing reports from the city’s various departments. All reports indicated that it was business as usual across the city this month. Mayor Jerry Lowery publicly thanked all of the city’s crews for their dedication to keeping the city running smoothly.
Before the meeting adjourned, the decision to cancel the next regularly scheduled board meeting, which would have fallen on New Year’s Day, was made. With that decision, Sparta’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s next meeting will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15.
Members Discussion