New city mayor talks about goals and future of Sparta

Jerry Lowery, mayor of Sparta

 On Aug. 4, 2022, the residents of the city of Sparta voted in a new mayor, and, on Aug. 18, Jerry Lowery took the oath of office and assumed the title of mayor of Sparta.

Lowery isn’t a newcomer to politics, having served four years on White County Board of Commissioners before being elected as an alderman for city of Sparta, in 2016.

Lowery said his time on the county commission was his first experience serving as an elected official and that it was a great experience.

“I served with some great men and women during my tenure there,” he said. “Most recently, I have served for six years as an alderman, and the experience has been very educational.”

When asked if he had any changes he would like to implement for the city of Sparta now that he has taken the seat as mayor, Lowery said his emphasis will be about how the city’s government can serve its citizens.

“The government is to be about service to our citizens.  We will work diligently to make sure that any dealings with the city will be completed with honesty, integrity, professionalism, and respect,” he said. “Once again, we will have an open-door policy that will allow residents to voice their concerns and opinions to all the items that come before a city board.

“The past six years I have done the best of my ability to stand on conservative principles as we govern. I have asked myself three questions as I have voiced my vote.  The three questions are as follows:

(1)  Does this violate the United States Constitution

(2) Does this create more government regulation and overreach?

(3) Does this create an increase in fees and taxes on the residents?

“My record is clear on the above questions, and we hope as a board of alderman and mayor that we continue to keep those principles in front of us as we move forward.”

Lowery said his first priority is to be sure the residents of Sparta feel they are being heard, that their concerns are being addressed, and that they have access to their elected officials.

“I campaigned on transparency within the local government.  The citizens of Sparta have voiced to me the need for open communication, and we will start working on that immediately,” he explained before listing some of the ways he plans to make good on those promises. “We want the citizens to know that the government is meant to be for the people and by the people.  We, as a government, exist to provide services to our citizens.  We will strive to be open and accessible to the voice of the people.

“We are going to start streaming our meetings online for the residents to be able to watch electronically.  We are looking into the technology that will best work for our city meeting.

“We are planning to hold town hall meetings in various areas of the city so we can hear the voice of the residents. We are in the planning stages of those meetings now and will soon begin releasing dates and places of those meetings as soon as we get those scheduled.

“We must expand our view and begin to work together to bring some quality jobs that have good pay and good benefits to our community.”

Lowery said he feels the city needs to be open and transparent with how they are using taxpayer dollars to fund the services and programs within the city, making sure the resident have access to that information and are knowledgeable about how their government is spending their money.

“We have some really good things going, we have some great things planned, and will strive to make Sparta the place where you want to raise a family, a place where you will want to work, and a place where you can find some quality recreational activities for your families,” he said.  

Lowery said that when major changes in leadership occur, time is needed to get new systems in place, make a plan for the future, and start down the road that leads to the end goals.

“As of this moment, we are still in the transition stage and will be releasing the vision for our city very soon,” Lowery said. “The city board of alderman and myself are excited to begin this new era of leadership that will be based on conservative principles and strive to provide some quality-of-life events for our residents.”