COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WOKI /WVLT) — Republican Joe Shults has been elected the next mayor of Cocke County, defeating independent candidate Chad Burchette with 57.1% of the vote.
With the race now decided, Shults says his administration will focus on two major priorities: rebuilding the county jail condemned after Hurricane Helene and expanding economic development opportunities to bring higher-paying jobs to the area.
Shults said moving forward with a new jail project is urgent, arguing that construction delays continue to drive up costs.
“Each year that we don’t get this jail built, just in materials, not counting labor, is costing this county about $1,720,000 a year,” Shults said. “And now that Jefferson County has put us on the clock, we’ve got to get this jail built.”
Shults supports a hub-and-spoke jail design rather than the pod-style facility proposed by Burchette during the campaign. He said the concept would allow the county to expand capacity as needed while keeping the jail on a single level.
“My proposal is a hub-type jail center. And then build like spokes of a wagon wheel,” Shults said. “We don’t need a four-story jail. We need one level. With those numbers, we can build a 350-bed jail here for roughly around 42 to 45 million dollars.”
Economic development is another key focus for the incoming mayor. Shults said the county’s nearly completed innovation park presents an opportunity to attract new businesses and create better-paying jobs for residents.
“We’ve got about seven sites there that will accommodate some pretty large scales,” Shults said. “So the next thing that we have to do is get busy starting recruiting.”
Shults also said he believes Cocke County can benefit from drawing additional revenue and economic activity from neighboring Sevier County.
The longtime community member said he decided to run after being encouraged by residents who wanted him to seek the county’s top elected position.
“I just had some members of the community come to me and just ask if I’d be interested in running for the mayor’s position,” Shults said. “Because everybody in the county knows that I’m just a straightforward guy.”
Shults will take office as Cocke County’s next mayor following his victory over Burchette in Thursday’s election.
Cocke County Mayor Joe Shults (WVLT)
