Redistricting

Recent redistricting across the State of Tennessee has had a significant impact on Jefferson County

In the most recent election, Jefferson County elected two Representatives to the State House. The redistricting process divided Jefferson County into Districts 11 and 17, sharing representation with Cocke and Greene Counties in District 11 and Sevier County in District 17. Jeremy Faison will represent Jefferson County in District 11. Faison is an incumbent and has previously represented Cocke County in the State House. This will be his first time to represent Jefferson County’s interest in Nashville. Andrew Farmer is the newly elected State House Representative from District 17. Farmer is a freshman representative in Nashville and will represent both Jefferson and Sevier Counties. Faison is a native of Cocke County and Farmer is a native of Sevier County. During the redistricting process, the question arose concerning the impact of splitting counties across the State.

Neighboring counties that share representation may have conflicting needs in the State and the issue could be problematic for those counties that do not have native representation. Jefferson County Mayor Alan Palmieri addressed the issue of Jefferson County’s split representation in an interview last week. He stated that the issue is a double edged sword. The concept of regional government, rather than isolationist, could have benefits to the County. New redistricting lines require that County governments work together to benefit all Counties in the represented area. Mayor Palmieri stated that Jefferson County can benefit from the relationship with Sevier, Cocke and Greene Counties. Though the demographics of the counties are somewhat different, the cross representation could bolster Jefferson County’s position in the State. The Mayor said that there is already an excellent working relationship between the Mayors in the counties. There are some issues that are unique to Jefferson County, including the hot button issue of the Norfolk Southern Intermodal. Palmieri stated that he has recently spoken to Norfolk Southern and that there is still no definitive word on the Intermodal proposal, however there has been movement to acquire and prepare property in the footprint of the proposed project.

Mayor Palmieri stated that the Mayors in the local municipalities, as well as those in the neighboring counties that Jefferson County will share State representation, have signed letters of support for the Intermodal project. Though the Intermodal project is not the only issue on the horizon that will affect Jefferson County, it is one whose impact is unique to Jefferson County. The Mayor said that it is wise that all the counties maintain a good working relationship, which requires the Elected and Appointed County Government Officials to be sensitive of the relationship. The downside of a shared representation, according to Mayor Palmieri, is that conflicts, should they arise, could be problematic for Jefferson County. Though there is not a native Jefferson County resident in the House, Frank Nicely will represent District 8, which includes Jefferson County, in the State Senate. Nicely is the longtime representative in State House District 17, which was comprised of a small portion of Knox and most of Jefferson County. The districts were shifted in the redistricting process. Though Nicely is new to the Senate, he is experienced in State government and is a native of Jefferson County. Farmer and Faison have committed to the interests in Jefferson County and have both been visible figures in the County, both before and after the election. Mayor Palmieri discussed the divide between East, Middle and West Tennessee in the State political machine. He stated that the new redistricting could bring some additional clout to the region when it comes to representing East Tennessee. Mayor Palmieri said that, overall, the positives in the new shared districts appear to outweigh the negatives. He noted that the Jefferson County vote is integral in any representative being elected and that he believes that there is strong representation in both the State House and Senate for Jefferson County. New representatives will be sworn in to their elected positions in the beginning of the New Year and have already received extensive orientation for their office.