Bedford County, TN elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Bedford County: 25 seats on 8 elected bodies.

County Commission

Bedford County Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
County CommissionerJohn Boutwell source
County CommissionerJason Boyette source
County CommissionerBrian Bruce source
County CommissionerKeith Davis source
County CommissionerDavid Deason source
County CommissionerAnita Epperson source
County CommissionerPhillip "Biff" Farrar source
County CommissionerJared Featherstone source
County CommissionerMichael Gregory source
County CommissionerEric Maddox source
County CommissionerAlex Mitchell source
County CommissionerDiane Neeley source
County CommissionerSylvia Pinson source
County CommissionerJason Sanders source
County CommissionerBrent Smith source
County CommissionerJennifer Templeton source
County CommissionerMark Thomas source
County CommissionerRoy Turner source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Assessor of PropertyEmily Hodges source
Circuit Court ClerkMichelle Murray source
County ClerkDonna Thomas source
County MayorCurt Cobb source
Register of DeedsJohn Reed source
SheriffNikia Elliott source
TrusteeTonya Davis source

How many local governments Bedford County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 10 local governments in Bedford County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships40
School districts (school boards)00
Special districts (elected boards)50

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (1 in Bedford County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Bedford County

52,237people
37.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$67,225 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
17.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$281,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
8.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
14.6%U.S.: 8.4%
47.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 16% · White 72.8% · Black 6.3% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 4.1% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Bedford County

3.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Tennessee: 3.3%.
796people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
23,876people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
24,672in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Bedford County 0.0%1.8%3.7%5.5%7.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.2%79623,87624,672
August 20263.6%88823,75624,644
July 20263.6%87423,48324,357
June 20263.7%93323,97324,906
May 20263.0%74324,24424,987
April 20263.3%81424,08524,899
March 20263.1%76823,87924,647
February 20263.7%91423,97924,893
January 20263.4%84024,04424,884
December 20253.3%82224,31125,133
November 20253.6%88824,11124,999
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.6%89724,07524,972
August 20253.7%91924,16325,082
July 20254.2%1,04323,90924,952
June 20254.1%1,03824,44825,486
May 20253.2%81924,66125,480
April 20252.9%72924,82425,553
March 20253.1%78624,51025,296
February 20253.2%80324,43025,233
January 20253.3%81824,34225,160
December 20243.1%77024,30625,076
November 20243.1%78324,12124,904
October 20243.3%81324,06324,876
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.4%86924,34425,213
20243.1%77524,12824,903
20233.0%73123,79724,528
20223.0%74023,76024,500
20213.8%91523,33624,251
20207.0%1,67022,04723,717
20193.2%77223,17323,945
20183.3%77222,80923,581
20173.5%80722,51223,319
20164.4%98121,56122,542

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Tennessee's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.4% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Bedford County

507.4 per 100,0002020. Tennessee: 672.7.
1,603.7 per 100,0002020. Tennessee: 2,492.8.
2murders2020, 255 violent crimes in all.

2020 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2020255507.48061,603.7
2019271546.69251,865.7
2018208428.49351,925.6
2017258537.79071,890.3
2016238499.99872,073.2
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Bedford County Sheriff's Office20256714828,265
Shelbyville Police Department202510936226,357
Wartrace Police Department201921692

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Tennessee · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.06 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 55,295 people.
114sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
75civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Bedford County Sheriff's Office626428,265
Shelbyville Police Department511126,357
Wartrace Police Department10673
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20251142.06753
20241212.23203
20231162.20203
20221031.98183
2021951.87703
2020951.89653
2019941.90633
2018961.98583
2017871.81593
2016831.74613

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Bedford County Assessor of Property?
Emily Hodges is the Assessor of Property of Bedford County, Tennessee.
Who is the Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk?
Michelle Murray is the Circuit Court Clerk of Bedford County, Tennessee.
Who is the Bedford County County Clerk?
Donna Thomas is the County Clerk of Bedford County, Tennessee.
Who is the Bedford County County Mayor?
Curt Cobb is the County Mayor of Bedford County, Tennessee.
Who is the Bedford County Register of Deeds?
John Reed is the Register of Deeds of Bedford County, Tennessee.
Who is the Bedford County Sheriff?
Nikia Elliott is the Sheriff of Bedford County, Tennessee.
Who is the Bedford County Trustee?
Tonya Davis is the Trustee of Bedford County, Tennessee.
Who are the Bedford County commissioners?
John Boutwell (County Commissioner); Jason Boyette (County Commissioner); Brian Bruce (County Commissioner); Keith Davis (County Commissioner); David Deason (County Commissioner); Anita Epperson (County Commissioner); Phillip "Biff" Farrar (County Commissioner); Jared Featherstone (County Commissioner); Michael Gregory (County Commissioner); Eric Maddox (County Commissioner); Alex Mitchell (County Commissioner); Diane Neeley (County Commissioner); Sylvia Pinson (County Commissioner); Jason Sanders (County Commissioner); Brent Smith (County Commissioner); Jennifer Templeton (County Commissioner); Mark Thomas (County Commissioner); Roy Turner (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Bedford County?
About 52,237 people, with a median age of 37.6; the median household income is $67,225 and 12.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Bedford County?
3.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 796 people unemployed in a labor force of 24,672, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Bedford County?
10 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal and 5 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the county directory of the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS); each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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