B

Retired police officer and Morristown businessman Matt Stuart is seeking the District 11 County Commission seat in the May 5 Republican Primary Election.

“I am running on a platform built on two essential pillars: Law Enforcement and Education,” Stuart said. “Without safety and learning, a community cannot prosper.”

Stuart is a lifelong resident of Hamblen County with deep roots in the Witt Community. As a 1991 graduate of Morristown-Hamblen High School West, a 32-year veteran of law enforcement, and a small business owner of 30 years, Stuart has spent his life working for this community.

He has been married to his wife, Becky, for the last 17 years. Their son, Porter, is a sophomore at Morristown Hamblen High 

School West. He also owns Morristown Tree Service.

As a 27-year veteran of the Morristown Police Department and also serving five years with the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office, he agreed that a new Justice Center had to be built.

“While I was not part of the decision-making process, I cannot ‘Monday Morning quarterback’ the decisions that were made involving the jail,” Stuart said. “The bottom line is we have a new jail and let us move forward and ensure this investment benefits every taxpayer. The jails today are so much different from what they used to be.

Stuart was quick to state that bad decisions are made in the heat of the moment.

“We must realize that not all people are bad that go to jail,” he said. “There are people who make bad decisions in the heat of the moment, with medical conditions or drug issues, and you have some people that are just bad people. These new jails are made for community health and law enforcement excellence.

“A new facility can be designed with dedicated spaces for mental health service, drug treatment, and job training, helping inmates become productive citizens.

“When building a new jail, you move away from spending money on patchwork repairs on failing structures, we reduce the risk of expensive lawsuits and federal mandates that drain taxpayer funds,” Stuart said.

“As someone who grew up in this school system-and as a father with a son currently enrolled-I am deeply committed to our schools. The county commission is responsible for the infrastructure where learning happens, but we must also focus on the people inside those buildings.”

Stuart is also concerned that some teachers no longer stay at one school for their entire career.

“I want to explore salary supplements to recruit and retain high-quality educators,” Stuart said. “Hamblen County should be a destination for the best teachers, not a temporary stop where they gain experience before moving elsewhere. Our children deserve consistency and excellence.

“I am 100% behind law enforcement and education. I am ready to use my 32 years of experience and my “ground-up” business mindset to help Hamblen County thrive.”

Early voting begins April 15 and ends April 30 for the May Primary.