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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Carter County: 30 seats on 8 elected bodies.

County Commission

Carter County Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
County CommissionerTaylor Brown source
County CommissionerSteve Burrough source
County CommissionerLisa Childress source
County CommissionerKelly Collins source
County CommissionerChristie Grindstaff source
County CommissionerJulie Guinn source
County CommissionerRichard Guinn source
County CommissionerScotty Hall source
County CommissionerTravis Hill source
County CommissionerNick Holder source
County CommissionerJonathan Holtsclaw source
County CommissionerAustin Jaynes source
County CommissionerBrad Johnson source
County CommissionerGary Kemp source
County CommissionerJason Lyons source
County CommissionerMichael Miller source
County CommissionerThomas Proffitt source
County CommissionerKeith Range source
County CommissionerTodd Smith source
County CommissionerCharlene Thomas source
County CommissionerCharles Von Cannon source
County CommissionerCarole Whaley source
County CommissionerAvery Wynn source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Assessor of PropertyNicholas Simerly source
Circuit Court ClerkJohnny Blankenship source
County ClerkMary Gouge source
County MayorPatty Woodby source
Register of DeedsJarrod Ellis source
SheriffMike Fraley source
TrusteeChad Lewis source

How many local governments Carter County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Carter 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 townships20
School districts (school boards)00
Special districts (elected boards)80

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 (2 in Carter 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 Carter County

56,712people
45.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$50,135 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
20.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$168,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.7%U.S.: 8.4%
36.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.5% · White 92.8% · Black 1.9% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 2.7% (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 Carter County

3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.9%. Tennessee: 3.3%.
841people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
23,155people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
23,996in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Carter County 0.0%1.8%3.6%5.4%7.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.5%84123,15523,996
August 20263.9%92522,62823,553
July 20263.7%88122,75023,631
June 20264.1%96922,92823,897
May 20263.4%80723,12323,930
April 20263.4%80923,12723,936
March 20263.5%82423,00123,825
February 20264.0%96423,00023,964
January 20263.8%89622,95223,848
December 20253.6%86123,36624,227
November 20254.0%97023,35624,326
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.9%93723,33924,276
August 20253.9%93022,87223,802
July 20254.3%1,04022,97524,015
June 20254.4%1,05823,08124,139
May 20253.7%89523,30124,196
April 20253.5%87023,65124,521
March 20253.9%94323,38624,329
February 20253.9%94523,20624,151
January 20254.4%1,04522,87523,920
December 20244.0%94722,91623,863
November 20244.2%99922,96223,961
October 20244.1%98122,99323,974
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.9%95423,21924,173
20243.9%91922,80423,723
20233.7%87422,53723,411
20223.7%87922,61023,489
20214.5%1,06622,58923,655
20206.9%1,61921,71923,338
20194.1%97222,83023,802
20184.2%99422,68423,678
20174.6%1,10222,64623,748
20165.7%1,35422,29523,649

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 Carter County

361.7 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 492.3.
1,685.9 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 1,636.6.
1murders2025, 474 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025474361.72,2091,685.9
2024459351.52,4081,844.2
2023486377.52,9002,252.7
2022401315.53,1762,498.9
2021339275.42,9182,370.6
2020414337.73,4262,794.5
2019434354.43,3642,747.1
2018397325.03,7863,099.2
2017402327.74,2493,464.1
2016433355.13,7913,109.4
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Johnson City Police Department20253071,57774,280
Carter County Sheriff's Office202512832241,933
Elizabethton Police Department20253931014,446

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

2.01 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 130,659 people.
263sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
44civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Johnson City Police Department1572074,280
Carter County Sheriff's Office651941,933
Elizabethton Police Department41514,446
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20252632.01443
20242581.98793
20232501.95273
20222301.81593
20212542.07713
20202742.24963
20192512.06953
20182572.11943
20172411.971083
20163082.54363

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 Carter County Assessor of Property?
Nicholas Simerly is the Assessor of Property of Carter County, Tennessee.
Who is the Carter County Circuit Court Clerk?
Johnny Blankenship is the Circuit Court Clerk of Carter County, Tennessee.
Who is the Carter County County Clerk?
Mary Gouge is the County Clerk of Carter County, Tennessee.
Who is the Carter County County Mayor?
Patty Woodby is the County Mayor of Carter County, Tennessee.
Who is the Carter County Register of Deeds?
Jarrod Ellis is the Register of Deeds of Carter County, Tennessee.
Who is the Carter County Sheriff?
Mike Fraley is the Sheriff of Carter County, Tennessee.
Who is the Carter County Trustee?
Chad Lewis is the Trustee of Carter County, Tennessee.
Who are the Carter County commissioners?
Taylor Brown (County Commissioner); Steve Burrough (County Commissioner); Lisa Childress (County Commissioner); Kelly Collins (County Commissioner); Christie Grindstaff (County Commissioner); Julie Guinn (County Commissioner); Richard Guinn (County Commissioner); Scotty Hall (County Commissioner); Travis Hill (County Commissioner); Nick Holder (County Commissioner); Jonathan Holtsclaw (County Commissioner); Austin Jaynes (County Commissioner); Brad Johnson (County Commissioner); Gary Kemp (County Commissioner); Jason Lyons (County Commissioner); Michael Miller (County Commissioner); Thomas Proffitt (County Commissioner); Keith Range (County Commissioner); Todd Smith (County Commissioner); Charlene Thomas (County Commissioner); Charles Von Cannon (County Commissioner); Carole Whaley (County Commissioner); Avery Wynn (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Carter County?
About 56,712 people, with a median age of 45.9; the median household income is $50,135 and 17.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Carter County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 841 people unemployed in a labor force of 23,996, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Carter County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal and 8 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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