Sullivan County leaders explore status options for Blountville

BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County leaders are exploring ways to give Blountville some form of official recognition under state law, while also working to expand tourism promotion in rural parts of the county. Blountville is Tennessee's only unincorporated county seat, serving as the center of Sullivan County government but lacking the municipal status that allows cities and designated communities to access certain grants and economic tools. Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable said the county is in the early stages of examining what type of designation, if any, could fit Blountville under Tennessee law. "We're certainly not applying for city status for Blountville," Venable said. "That's not what the citizens want. But having some kind of structural status for Blountville is very much a goal." Venable said possible options could include recognition as a community, village or township. Any move would need approval from the Tennessee General Assembly through a special legislative act. Venable said there has not been a formal request submitted and the idea has not yet been presented to the Sullivan County Commission. "We've talked with state officials over the years, but we've never formally requested that the General Assembly act on that," Venable said. "Recently, I've continued those conversations and it's very much in the early stages." Funding and limitations Because Blountville is unincorporated, it does not have its own municipal government or independent tax base. Venable said county commissioners currently allocate about $10,000 annually for projects in the Blountville area. "They use that for projects around what we term the city limits or the limits of the community," Venable said. "We're looking to landscape the new traffic circle here and see if we can put some type of historical artifact in the middle of that. They're doing things like that." Venable said if Blountville were to gain an official status, the area could keep a portion of local sales tax generated in the area to fund community improvements. "If we get a status, ideally, for what we determine to be the township of Blountville, if we could keep the local sales tax portion, that would be one thing that would be desirable," Venable said. "Now, it obviously would come out of the county commission and the county's taxes that we collect." "It has to come from somewhere," he added, "and we represent the whole county." Commissioner Zane Vanover said gaining a recognized status could open the door to grant funding that is not available to Blountville right now. "Blountville is the only unincorporated county seat in the state, and that eliminates us from some small-town grants and opportunities," Vanover said. "If we could have a status as a community or township, there are other opportunities that would be available to us." Vanover said any growth should be deliberate and measured. "Blountville needs to grow, but it needs to grow at the correct pace," he said. Expanding tourism efforts At the same time, county leaders are pursuing new ways to boost tourism, particularly in rural areas of Sullivan County. In November, the Sullivan County Commission passed a resolution, sponsored by Vanover, authorizing the county to issue a request for qualifications asking firms to provide tourism and marketing services. Venbable said the goal is to develop more targeted strategies focused on rural Sullivan County. "We have an overall responsibility to promote the whole county," Venable said. "You can't sell Sullivan County without selling Bristol and Kingsport. But the county, and specifically Blountville, has its own tourist magnets." Venable said those include Rocky Mount State Historic Site, the South Holston River, fishing opportunities, historic communities and other rural attractions throughout the county. He pointed to Blountville's concentration of historic structures, including the Old Deery Inn and the Anderson Townhouse, noting that the community has the largest collection of pre–Civil War buildings in Tennessee. Sullivan County Purchasing Agent Kris Davis said the county received 12 responses to the RFQ from firms both inside the region and outside. "We were very tickled to get that many," Davis said. She said an evaluation committee is currently reviewing the submissions and because the process is ongoing, the proposals cannot be released publicly. "It'll be a few more weeks before this process is over," she said. Once the committee narrows down the proposals, a recommendation will then be taken to the county commission. "I think the commission wants to see someone who will concentrate more on the rural parts of the county. That's what we'll be looking for," Vanover said. Currently, the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association and the Sullivan County Department of Tourism and Archives, led by Matthew Johnson, handle the majority of tourism promotion for Sullivan County. The RFQ follows the county's implementation of a hotel occupancy tax in 2023, which has generated more than $1.6 million. State law requires the revenue to be used for tourism-related purposes. In November 2024, commissioners approved a resolution splitting the funds, with half allocated annually to NETTA and the other half directed to the county's tourism department. What the tourism RFQ calls for According to a copy of the RFQ, Sullivan County is seeking one or more firms to provide "aggressive and innovative destination marketing services" aimed at growing tourism countywide, with a focus on the "more 'rural' portions of Sullivan County." The document calls for strategies that highlight outdoor recreation, historic sites and experiences "off the beaten path," while attracting visitors from outside a 50-mile radius. It states Blountville plays an important role in the county and has multiple historic attractions for tourism. The county did not include a cost estimate in the request, stating that fees will be discussed after a firm is selected. The county can also award the contract to multiple firms, if it sees fit. The initial contract term would be one year and it states either the firm or county could terminate with 90 days' notice.