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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Hardeman County: 23 seats on 8 elected bodies.

County Commission

Hardeman County Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
County CommissionerDavid Bell source
County CommissionerCory Bufford source
County CommissionerRussell Deberry source
County CommissionerMichion Gatlin source
County CommissionerRickey Griggs source
County CommissionerBobby Hensley source
County CommissionerTerry Howell source
County CommissionerJoseph Jenkins source
County CommissionerJeff Kennamore source
County CommissionerChandra Lake source
County CommissionerJohnny Lanier Jr. source
County CommissionerWilbert Sain Jr. source
County CommissionerDylan Stewart source
County CommissionerJohnny Weems source
County CommissionerErica Woods source
County CommissionerBobby Wright source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Assessor of PropertyJosh Pulse source
Circuit Court ClerkJennifer Burkeen source
County ClerkTonet Griggs source
County MayorTodd Pulse source
Register of DeedsMark Gilliam source
SheriffAntonio Parham source
TrusteeSandy Hammons source

How many local governments Hardeman County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 16 local governments in Hardeman 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 townships90
School districts (school boards)00
Special districts (elected boards)60

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 Hardeman 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 Hardeman County

25,433people
40.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$46,069 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
19%below the U.S.: 12.5%
12.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$121,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
9.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.5%U.S.: 8.4%
54.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
34.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.2% · White 53.1% · Black 38.2% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 5.8% (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 Hardeman County

4.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.1%. Tennessee: 3.3%.
397people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
8,201people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,598in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Hardeman County 0.0%2.2%4.3%6.5%8.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.6%3978,2018,598
August 20265.1%4358,1298,564
July 20264.9%4128,0828,494
June 20265.1%4408,1168,556
May 20264.7%3958,0788,473
April 20265.0%4207,9678,387
March 20264.9%4108,0018,411
February 20265.9%5098,0838,592
January 20265.6%4788,1218,599
December 20254.9%4288,2698,697
November 20255.2%4498,2248,673
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.1%4438,1818,624
August 20255.2%4488,2068,654
July 20255.8%4958,0908,585
June 20255.7%4958,1998,694
May 20254.9%4248,1938,617
April 20254.8%4148,2368,650
March 20255.4%4738,2628,735
February 20255.2%4568,3528,808
January 20255.3%4698,4418,910
December 20244.4%3868,4558,841
November 20244.6%4078,3548,761
October 20244.5%3928,2338,625
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.2%4548,2418,695
20244.5%3858,2228,607
20234.5%3868,2238,609
20224.4%3798,3338,712
20216.5%5648,1468,710
20208.2%7418,3069,047
20195.1%4718,7729,243
20185.1%4608,6449,104
20175.4%4858,4728,957
20166.4%5718,3958,966

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 Hardeman County

895.7 per 100,0002020. Tennessee: 672.7.
1,543.0 per 100,0002020. Tennessee: 2,492.8.
4murders2020, 220 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
2020220895.73791,543.0
2019126509.43551,435.2
2018133533.33861,547.7
2017169677.83621,451.8
2016141561.15322,117.1
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Hardeman County Sheriff's Office20257111714,502
Bolivar Police Department2025861285,058
Whiteville Police Department2025794,562
Toone Police Department202425270

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

2.34 per 1,000 residents2022, 5 agencies serving 25,187 people.
59sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.
24civilian staff2022, full-time.

2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (5), 2022
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Hardeman County Sheriff's Office292216,462
Bolivar Police Department2125,127
Whiteville Police Department702,646
Middleton Police Department20682
Toone Police Department00270
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2022592.34245
2021582.37275
2020632.56465
2019612.47425
2018582.33515

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 Hardeman County Assessor of Property?
Josh Pulse is the Assessor of Property of Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Who is the Hardeman County Circuit Court Clerk?
Jennifer Burkeen is the Circuit Court Clerk of Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Who is the Hardeman County County Clerk?
Tonet Griggs is the County Clerk of Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Who is the Hardeman County County Mayor?
Todd Pulse is the County Mayor of Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Who is the Hardeman County Register of Deeds?
Mark Gilliam is the Register of Deeds of Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Who is the Hardeman County Sheriff?
Antonio Parham is the Sheriff of Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Who is the Hardeman County Trustee?
Sandy Hammons is the Trustee of Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Who are the Hardeman County commissioners?
David Bell (County Commissioner); Cory Bufford (County Commissioner); Russell Deberry (County Commissioner); Michion Gatlin (County Commissioner); Rickey Griggs (County Commissioner); Bobby Hensley (County Commissioner); Terry Howell (County Commissioner); Joseph Jenkins (County Commissioner); Jeff Kennamore (County Commissioner); Chandra Lake (County Commissioner); Johnny Lanier Jr. (County Commissioner); Wilbert Sain Jr. (County Commissioner); Dylan Stewart (County Commissioner); Johnny Weems (County Commissioner); Erica Woods (County Commissioner); Bobby Wright (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Hardeman County?
About 25,433 people, with a median age of 40.1; the median household income is $46,069 and 19% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hardeman County?
4.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 397 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,598, against 5.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hardeman County?
16 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal and 6 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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