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

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

County Commission

Smith County Commission

OfficeWho holds it now
County CommissionerTommy Bane source
County CommissionerScotty Barrett source
County CommissionerWilliam Bass source
County CommissionerLynn Brown source
County CommissionerJavin Cripps source
County CommissionerJeremy Dennis source
County CommissionerErika Ebel source
County CommissionerWilliam Elliott source
County CommissionerJunior Fields source
County CommissionerRichey Gregory source
County CommissionerMatthew Inyart source
County CommissionerCharles Kent source
County CommissionerSteven Lish source
County CommissionerJustin Mauldin source
County CommissionerConnor Mcdonald source
County CommissionerRonald Paschal source
County CommissionerCordell Smith Jr. source
County CommissionerRusty Williams source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Assessor of PropertyTerry Collins source
Circuit Court ClerkThomas Turner source
County ClerkClifa Norris source
County MayorJeff Mason source
Register of DeedsJerri Vaden-Malone source
SheriffSteve Hopper source
TrusteeJulie Wright source

How many local governments Smith County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 10 local governments in Smith 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 townships30
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 Smith 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 Smith County

20,389people
40.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$66,293 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
10%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$243,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.3%U.S.: 8.4%
36.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.1% · White 90% · Black 1.9% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 4.6% (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 Smith County

2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. Tennessee: 3.3%.
295people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
10,029people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
10,324in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Smith County 0.0%1.6%3.2%4.7%6.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.9%29510,02910,324
August 20263.2%3269,95410,280
July 20263.2%3279,96610,293
June 20263.4%34810,02910,377
May 20262.9%2949,96510,259
April 20262.8%2809,87610,156
March 20263.0%3019,84410,145
February 20263.5%3569,86310,219
January 20263.3%3389,90810,246
December 20253.0%31410,13010,444
November 20253.3%34810,06210,410
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.3%34010,01510,355
August 20253.2%32910,00210,331
July 20253.6%3779,99810,375
June 20253.7%3809,99510,375
May 20253.0%3079,99410,301
April 20252.9%29910,04710,346
March 20253.3%3369,92710,263
February 20253.4%3449,90710,251
January 20253.4%3469,91410,260
December 20242.9%2979,92210,219
November 20243.0%3089,86410,172
October 20242.9%2929,79910,091
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.3%3389,99910,337
20243.0%2999,77610,075
20232.9%2909,6779,967
20222.9%2889,6499,937
20213.4%3289,3019,629
20206.0%5558,7609,315
20192.9%2789,3209,598
20183.0%2769,0469,322
20173.5%3188,7999,117
20164.4%3948,4938,887

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 Smith County

142.7 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 492.3.
499.6 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 1,636.6.
0murders2025, 30 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202530142.7105499.6
202445216.1112537.9
20231886.6181870.9
202148234.2162790.5
202050246.6189932.2
201964319.12291,141.8
201841208.13001,522.4
201740204.73171,622.5
201639201.82611,350.5
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Smith County Sheriff's Office2025194215,756
Carthage Police Department20258482,259
South Carthage Police Department20251101,610
Gordonsville Police Department2025251,392

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

2.43 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 21,017 people.
51sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
39civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Smith County Sheriff's Office313415,756
Carthage Police Department952,259
Gordonsville Police Department701,392
South Carthage Police Department401,610
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025512.43394
2024522.50404
2023522.50364
2022472.30364
2021502.44364
2020502.47174
2019462.29334
2018452.28414
2017442.25374
2016442.28364

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 Smith County Assessor of Property?
Terry Collins is the Assessor of Property of Smith County, Tennessee.
Who is the Smith County Circuit Court Clerk?
Thomas Turner is the Circuit Court Clerk of Smith County, Tennessee.
Who is the Smith County County Clerk?
Clifa Norris is the County Clerk of Smith County, Tennessee.
Who is the Smith County County Mayor?
Jeff Mason is the County Mayor of Smith County, Tennessee.
Who is the Smith County Register of Deeds?
Jerri Vaden-Malone is the Register of Deeds of Smith County, Tennessee.
Who is the Smith County Sheriff?
Steve Hopper is the Sheriff of Smith County, Tennessee.
Who is the Smith County Trustee?
Julie Wright is the Trustee of Smith County, Tennessee.
Who are the Smith County commissioners?
Tommy Bane (County Commissioner); Scotty Barrett (County Commissioner); William Bass (County Commissioner); Lynn Brown (County Commissioner); Javin Cripps (County Commissioner); Jeremy Dennis (County Commissioner); Erika Ebel (County Commissioner); William Elliott (County Commissioner); Junior Fields (County Commissioner); Richey Gregory (County Commissioner); Matthew Inyart (County Commissioner); Charles Kent (County Commissioner); Steven Lish (County Commissioner); Justin Mauldin (County Commissioner); Connor Mcdonald (County Commissioner); Ronald Paschal (County Commissioner); Cordell Smith Jr. (County Commissioner); Rusty Williams (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Smith County?
About 20,389 people, with a median age of 40.6; the median household income is $66,293 and 10% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Smith County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 295 people unemployed in a labor force of 10,324, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Smith County?
10 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 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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