Mike Akard - Blount County Commissioner D2

06/27/2026

Wondering where you can set off your fireworks? See the following guidelines below:

1. Shooting fireworks is lawful between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. only on July 3 and 4.
2. It is illegal to shoot fireworks on public property or within 20 feet of any street or sidewalk.
3. It is illegal to shoot fireworks on another person’s property without their consent.
4. It is illegal to shoot fireworks within 600 feet of any church, hospital, funeral home, public or private school, or within 200 feet of where fireworks are bought, stored, or sold.
5. It is illegal to shoot fireworks at a motor vehicle, building, or people.
6. It is illegal to throw fireworks into or from a moving vehicle.

We want everyone to be safe, and that includes our residents who are not setting off fireworks. Be respectful this holiday season and shoot fireworks from your personal property. To ensure proper firework safety and the new protocol is being used, Alcoa Police will have extra officers on duty during the holiday weekend.

If you see any activity that may be endangering other people, please call 911.

05/28/2026

Lately there’s been a whole lot of social media talk about AI data centers, with folks being urged to pack our meetings and speak out against them. And, since that’s exactly what “public input” is for, I would always welcome everyone to attend and share their opinion because the number of actual participants is most often non-existent.

But, with so much being said online, I’d like to take a moment to help set the record straight.

Neither the County Commission nor the county Planning Commission has ever been asked to approve, discuss, or vote on an AI data center. Never happened. Not once.

Now, there’s all sorts of nasty rumors floating around that a Data Center might be interested in buying the old Alcoa South Plant and it appears these rumors have merit….But if that day ever comes, any zoning or planning request tied to that property would go before the City of Alcoa, not Blount County. And from personal questions of staff members of City of Alcoa, I know nobody’s approached them either.

If there ever comes a day where a real vote is on the table regarding an AI data center, I’ll be among the first to put it out publicly that I'm planning to oppose such from taking place anywhere in Blount County.

Right now, we’re already looking at what legal options exist to make sure Blount County never becomes home to one of these AI data centers. We’re not asleep at the wheel. We’re watching it close.

04/27/2026

In case you were unaware of programs that can help you fight high taxation in addition to casting your votes wisely, here are some details:

04/25/2026

The ONLY choice that makes sense for people that aren’t interested in special interests getting supported at the expense of “We The People”

Take a serious, long look at every person on your ballot, and unless you’re among the parties that benefit from “special interests”, Jared Anderson for Blount County Mayor is by far the best candidate. He’s the ONLY choice that’s doing things to work for EVERYONE in Blount County as each of the others has a “special interest” group strongly pushing their choice to best serve THEIR interests instead of EVERYONE!

04/12/2026

Hey Townsend/Walland VOTERS….It was just confirmed to me via his own post that Gordon Edward Wright II is another puppet running for office. He quite literally just proved it with a post on Facebook after all that has been happening in the area.

While Moon gets mega props as a veteran, his activity in local politics is damning for sure for anyone that’s been actually paying attention instead of grabbing press releases. Plus, as I mention, he’s 80 years old with no plans to finish the term if he wins the election. I didn’t make this story up, but I do feel the need to mention it as there is no good reason to leave a part time job from much higher office in Nashville to step into a lower level full time job at county level without there being an unmentionable plan.

Moon has always treated me respectfully outside commission meetings as we most definitely did not always see eye to eye while serving on commission when he was chairman voting to raise your taxes and denying me an opportunity to even discuss the reasons to vote against the property tax increase he led. If you don’t believe he took said action to prevent my comments from being made in the public meeting, please don’t hesitate to go watch the meeting videos from May and June 2015 that are shown online. By the way, this was the largest tax increase in Blount County’s history and he was actively involved in preventing me from speaking in public my opposition from my duly elected seat on commission.

04/08/2026

Paid for by Mike Akard….

Thank you for your support.

As Blount County’s most conservative commissioner, I welcome your sharing this vitally important message and remind everyone that YOUR VOTE COUNTS in more/bigger ways than any news report can ever cover!

04/07/2026

Yes, real Americans proudly voted for a strong President who speaks truth to our enemies with the kind of straight talk and backbone this nation needs. Calling out crazy bastards and promising hell if they cross us projects the power and resolve that keeps America safe and respected on the world stage. Weakness invites aggression, and empty diplomacy has never protected our people or our interests.

What’s truly embarrassing is supporting leaders who choose to send billions of taxpayer dollars to adversaries instead of securing our own borders and rebuilding our military. That kind of failed approach signals frailty and only emboldens those who wish us harm, draining our resources while American families struggle.

It’s time to reject the politics of appeasement and stand firmly behind leadership that puts America first. Strength through clarity deters war far better than blank checks ever could. God bless the United States and the warriors who defend her.

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

This video was paid for by Mike Akard. Thank you for your support. As Blount County’s most conservative commissioner, I welcome your sharing this vitally important message and remind everyone that YOUR VOTE COUNTS in more/bigger ways than any news report can ever cover!