SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – Republican candidate Bryan McCarter is going to be the next mayor of Sevier County after winning the election on Thursday. He defeated fellow candidates Mark Mundo and Krystal Whaley, who both ran as independents.
WVLT spoke with McCarter prior to the election, and he said the race was personal for him, as he called Sevier County home.
“I love Sevier County. I’ve grown up in Sevier County. My kids are here in Sevier County. And so I’ve got a vested interest in this community being the absolute best that it can be. I’ve got a vested interest in knowing that my kids have somewhere that they can come back and live,” McCarter said.
As for his priorities, McCarter said infrastructure is his first concern.
“We have got to have better roads here in Sevier County. We’ve got to have better access to water. We’ve got to manage growth and work with our city partners on all of these, but also on sewer,” McCarter said.
McCarter named school funding as his second priority. He said Sevier County ranks near the bottom in state school funding and pledged to work with state representatives to address the gap.
He also plans to address the cost of living, saying county government should create conditions for wage growth through competition among businesses and expansion of the manufacturing sector, rather than setting wages directly.
Prior to the election, McCarter was serving as Sevier County vice mayor. He will now replace Mayor Larry Waters, who is retiring after 48 years in office.
