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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Meigs County: 19 seats on 8 elected bodies.

County Commission

Meigs County Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
County CommissionerJodie Brantley source
County CommissionerBill England source
County CommissionerJerry Harris source
County CommissionerJeff Howard source
County CommissionerCarter Lankford source
County CommissionerDustin Lankford source
County CommissionerGary Lankford source
County CommissionerRalph Minnis Jr. source
County CommissionerJeremy Newman source
County CommissionerDonnie Smith source
County CommissionerEric Watson source
County CommissionerChristopher Welch source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Assessor of PropertyBilly Breeden source
Circuit Court ClerkDarrell Davis source
County ClerkJanie Myers source
County MayorJoe Lawson source
Register of DeedsMadison Carden source
SheriffJackie Melton source
TrusteeStacie Hyde source

How many local governments Meigs County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 3 local governments in Meigs 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 townships10
School districts (school boards)00
Special districts (elected boards)10

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 Meigs 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 Meigs County

13,343people
45.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$61,375 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
13.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$180,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
10.6%U.S.: 8.4%
36.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
27.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.9% · White 89.2% · Black 2.2% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 6.3% (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 Meigs County

4.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.9%. Tennessee: 3.3%.
217people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
4,471people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
4,688in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Meigs County 0.0%2.4%4.7%7.1%9.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.6%2174,4714,688
August 20265.0%2304,3874,617
July 20265.0%2324,4024,634
June 20265.3%2464,4334,679
May 20264.3%2024,4794,681
April 20264.7%2184,4484,666
March 20265.1%2364,4354,671
February 20265.5%2614,4454,706
January 20265.3%2504,4554,705
December 20255.0%2384,5244,762
November 20255.2%2494,5124,761
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.9%2324,5354,767
August 20255.1%2394,4574,696
July 20255.6%2654,4684,733
June 20255.7%2734,4934,766
May 20254.6%2184,5164,734
April 20254.1%1974,5524,749
March 20255.1%2414,5184,759
February 20255.3%2534,4994,752
January 20255.6%2644,4504,714
December 20244.9%2314,4654,696
November 20244.9%2294,4274,656
October 20244.8%2264,4564,682
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.1%2434,5024,745
20245.0%2344,4384,672
20235.2%2504,5694,819
20224.7%2324,7284,960
20215.3%2654,6944,959
20209.0%4534,5935,046
20194.7%2354,8045,039
20184.7%2324,6554,887
20175.5%2644,5734,837
20167.1%3364,4244,760

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 Meigs County

393.0 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 492.3.
708.7 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 1,636.6.
2murders2025, 56 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202556393.0101708.7
202438270.3140995.7
202337273.52001,478.2
202275561.61851,385.2
202153418.51631,287.2
202062496.22542,033.0
201971573.63212,593.5
201863520.43282,709.4
201760497.43492,893.1
201656473.03172,677.6
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Meigs County Sheriff's Office2025537912,579
Decatur Police Department20245391,651

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

1.75 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 14,251 people.
25sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
9civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Meigs County Sheriff's Office19912,579
Decatur Police Department601,672
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025251.7592
2024271.92182
2022272.0262
2021262.05262
2020241.92192
2019211.70202
2018221.82202
2017241.99152
2016242.03192

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 Meigs County Assessor of Property?
Billy Breeden is the Assessor of Property of Meigs County, Tennessee.
Who is the Meigs County Circuit Court Clerk?
Darrell Davis is the Circuit Court Clerk of Meigs County, Tennessee.
Who is the Meigs County County Clerk?
Janie Myers is the County Clerk of Meigs County, Tennessee.
Who is the Meigs County County Mayor?
Joe Lawson is the County Mayor of Meigs County, Tennessee.
Who is the Meigs County Register of Deeds?
Madison Carden is the Register of Deeds of Meigs County, Tennessee.
Who is the Meigs County Sheriff?
Jackie Melton is the Sheriff of Meigs County, Tennessee.
Who is the Meigs County Trustee?
Stacie Hyde is the Trustee of Meigs County, Tennessee.
Who are the Meigs County commissioners?
Jodie Brantley (County Commissioner); Bill England (County Commissioner); Jerry Harris (County Commissioner); Jeff Howard (County Commissioner); Carter Lankford (County Commissioner); Dustin Lankford (County Commissioner); Gary Lankford (County Commissioner); Ralph Minnis Jr. (County Commissioner); Jeremy Newman (County Commissioner); Donnie Smith (County Commissioner); Eric Watson (County Commissioner); Christopher Welch (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Meigs County?
About 13,343 people, with a median age of 45.4; the median household income is $61,375 and 14.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Meigs County?
4.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 217 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,688, against 4.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Meigs County?
3 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal and 1 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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