Town of Alexandria

07/16/2026

Trash pick-up for next week (July 20 - 24) will be Monday the 20th and Thursday the 23rd.

07/15/2026

Reminder: Town Hall will be closed to the public today July 15th 2026 for software changes and training. We will re-open with normal business hours tomorrow July 16th 2026. If you need to make a water, property tax or citation payment you can pay on our website

NOTICES

07/09/2026

The board put up a good fight to keep our water rates from going up. Talk to Watertown and to many other municipal governments in Tennessee and you will hear that the Comptroller ultimately calls the shots with utility and government finance.

I try to explain it fairly.

On one side they demand we charge enough for water and wastewater so that we can be reasonably prepared to upkeep the infrastructure we have.

On the other side they do actually want the customers (all of us) to be protected from a government that gets greedy and overcharges.

They are looking at the first side -- not charging enough.

While I have been dealing with the Comptroller and this issue, the board has stayed determined to protect your water rates.

This post is to make 2 points:

1. The Comptroller will always win.

2. Your board, as dysfunctional as it can be at times, has tried to do their best for you.

~Jeff~

07/03/2026

There is talk going around about the park.

The area at Gin Alley is not a town park. It used to be the park and it's glory days were decades ago.

What happened?

Floods.

Water damage would continue to plague the area. That is why the park is located way up above the ballfield. And the park is great! I've walked it and done a few videos there for you. There is a pavillion there to eat. I've been up there several times when families were having a birthday party or cook out.

There is a walking path and playground stuff.

It was an effort to relocate the park to higher ground.

As for the old space at Gin Alley....

It is a grass field. It is behind several houses. There is not much light back there. If we make it an official park we would have to make it safe for everyone. Whatever we did would have to withstand flooding.

Maybe a walking path one day, but with lights and gates to close it at night.

The park was moved. When the old park wasn't working out, the town took to higher ground.

~Jeff~

07/01/2026

The Comptroller is the State authority over government finances. They can approve or reject our town budget. They can audit us anytime. The Comptroller is appointed by our Senate. His office is interested in the financial part of our water utility. While their office doesn't address pipes and pumps and water towers, they make sure we manage the utility finances to be able to afford upkeep AND that we provide the best rate to customers.

Water income can ONLY pay for water related things.

The Comptroller demanded we do a rate study. They talked about us doing a feasibility study.

We did both.

The rate study order was ignored by the previous mayor and we were subpoenaed to TBOUR last year to make us comply. I got the subpoena and told them we would do both studies.

The Rate study concluded that water rates were ok but they determined our wastewater plant was not properly funded by our current rate.

They said we need to raise wastewater rates 20% this year and '28 and '29.

For my personal water bills, this would add about $8 to my bill.

The Comptroller demands that we implement the rate study conclusion.

Failure to comply will result in the Comptroller doing a few different things:

1. Decline our city budget
2. Take us to court and...
a. Force the sale of our utility or
b. Force this rate increase

You might say, "let's fight the rate in court!"

But understand that the State is prepared to win that fight

You might say, "Let's let them sell it!!!!"

But understand that the rate study determined that the wastewater plant and the area it covers is not adequately funded at our current rate. That won't change with another utility owning it.

Also, we have no control over rates AT ALL once it belongs to another company. Right now we manage it for ourselves.

The sale or merger of our water utility might not be a bad thing. The thing is, this wastewater rate will come either way.

Also, if we did the 20%, we keep control and we can decide for ourselves whether to sell or keep.

As of now, our budget is in the Comptroller hands AND the rates and ownership of the utility are now in their hands and in the hands of the court.

06/29/2026

Live from Mevo

06/17/2026

*UPDATE*

06/17/2026

06/16/2026

Updated**