Area Government
Athens Area Chamber Of Commerce
Athens
The Friendly City is a full service community nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains offering an appealing quality of life for citizens and a convenient fun place for guests to visit. Athens has grown to a city of over 14,000 residents, with a daytime population close to 30,000. The City of Athens is organized under the Council-Manager form of government, based on the business model, where the city manager serves as the executive and administrative branch managing all of the day-to-day operations of the city, and the five member city council is the legislative branch and sets the budget and policies for the community. Council members serve four year terms and select the mayor from among themselves every two years.
Providing municipal services to the citizens and guests of Athens, the Friendly City has a professional public safety team with fire, police, first response, and building inspection/codes enforcement; fun programming and ever-expanding amenities from the Parks and Recreation Department; an excellent Pre-k through 8th grade Department of Education; lowest-cost-in-the-region utilities with the Utilities Board; first-rate infrastructure developed and maintained by the Public Works Department; and many other municipal services.
The City of Athens can be reached by telephone (423) 744-2700, online at athenstn.gov, in person at City Hall (815 N. Jackson St.), and on social media.
THE ATHENS AREA HAS A BOUNTIFUL SUPPLY OF RECREATION SPOTS
The 10 main city departments each have a director or supervisor who deals with the day-to-day operations.
The hours for the general office operations are from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The departments include:
City Manager’s office – 744-2702
Finance Department – 744-2712
Purchasing – 744-2712
Police Department – 744-2730 or 911
Communications – 744-2720
Fire Department – 744-2760 or 911
Public Works – 744-2745
Community Development – 744-2750
Parks and Recreation – 744-2704
Personnel – 744-2703
The city website is http://www.cityofathenstn.com/.
Calhoun
Calhoun is the oldest town in McMinn County and one of the oldest in East Tennessee.
Currently, the town is governed by a City Commission made up of a mayor and 3 Commissioners. City Commission meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Calhoun Municipal Building. The city hall telephone number is 336-2348.
Englewood
The Englewood City Commission is made up of a mayor and 4 commissioners. City Commission meetings are held at 6 p.m. the second Monday of the month at the Municipal Building. City departments can be reached at 887-7224.
Etowah
Etowah started as a one-industry town but has grown over the last century to become far more than just a railroad town.
The current government – a city manager and commission form of government – is comprised of five city commissioners, including a mayor, and a city manager.
The mayor is chosen from the five members of the Commission. The phone number at City Hall is 263-2202.
McMinn County
As with other counties in Tennessee, McMinn’s government is comprised of offices established by the state Constitution and other appointed positions. There is a three-way system, such as in the federal government, of legislative, judicial and executive branches.
All of the agencies combine to serve the county’s more than 51,000 residents.
The McMinn County Commission is the legislative branch of county government comprised of 10 members who represent the five districts in the county. The panel’s primary functions are budget approval and policy-making. Members are elected to four year terms.
The Commission meets the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Commission Chambers in the basement floor of the McMinn County Courthouse. For more information on the McMinn County Commission call 745-7634.
The county mayor serves as chief administrator of McMinn County and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the general fund. The county mayor is elected to a four-year term. The County Mayor’s office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Courthouse. The office is located on the main floor of the Courthouse and can be reached at 745-7634. Their website is http://www.mcminncountytn.gov
Other County Offices:
County Clerk – 745-4440
Register of Deeds – 745-1232
Trustee – 745-1291
Property Assessor – 745-2743
Finance and Purchasing – 745-4103
Veterans Affairs – 744-1605
Election Commission – 745-0843
Emergency Preparedness – 744-5256
Highway Department – 745-1820
Sheriff – 745-5622 or 911
Within McMinn County there are several cities:
Niota
Niota has enjoyed a place in history because one of its native sons cast the tie-breaking vote in the Tennessee House of Representatives, resulting in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and giving women the right to vote.
Harry T. Burn, serving his first term in the Tennessee House of Representatives, made history in August 1920 when he was encouraged by his mother to change his vote on the ratification.
Niota, which has been incorporated since 1911, is governed by a mayor and a five-member City Commission.
Niota’s City Commission meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. The city office can be reached at 568-2584.