On behalf of our nearly 29,000 citizens, I want to share with you some of the positive activities taking place in Carroll County, Tennessee. 

Carroll County Breaks the Half-Million-Dollar Mark in Local Option Sales Tax  Revenues

     Comparing January 2011 and January 2012, Carroll County experienced a 13% growth in local option sales tax revenues.  Collections in January 2012 marked the first time Carroll County has gone above the half-million-dollar mark in a single month.  Growth of sales tax revenue was up in cities and towns countywide.  Carroll County has so much to offer in regard to affordable housing, higher education, recreational attractions, and proximity to Nashville and Memphis.  Continued growth allows for improvements to infrastructure that will only make Carroll County a more desirable destination for new businesses. 

Bethel University is Clearly Headed in the Right Direction

     Bethel University has an enrollment close to 5,000 and still growing – six times what it was in the 1990’s.  Bethel now offers classes at six campuses throughout Tennessee – Nashville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Memphis, and Jackson, along with the McKenzie location. Classes are also available in other small communities at twenty locations. The university’s plan for campus development has resulted in updated, state-of-the-art additions to the campus, while its outstanding academic program provides education opportunities in traditional and non-traditional settings.  Bethel University’s Criminal Justice program is one of only fourteen recognized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additionally, Bethel is the home of one of Tennessee’s largest MBA programs, one of only four Physician Assistant programs in the state, and a bass fishing team which was featured in an article in the New York Times. Renaissance, Bethel’s innovative performing arts experience, continues to gain national acclaim.  Bethel University is clearly headed in the right direction, and we are honored to have them call Carroll County home.

Carroll County’s 1000-acre Lake Proceeding on Schedule

The construction of the 2400 ft. long dam is completed, and the process of filling the lake is nearing completion.  With its twenty-two miles of shoreline, the lake will provide more than 300 acres designated for fishing.  Tennessee is a popular fishing destination with its nearly thirty major reservoirs.  Fishing is big business, and, as a county, we want to be in a position where we speak of the fishing industry as “The Big One We Landed.”  Seventy-five percent of the lake will have a water depth of at least 20 feet, a big plus for water enthusiasts. 

Carroll County’s Quick Brag Points

 ·         Continuing to promote culture and art with diverse entertainment performances, The Dixie Carter Performing Arts & Academic Enrichment Center has quietly become one of Tennessee’s leading venues for the arts between Memphis and Nashville.  In 2011, 8,000 students attended school-day performances at The Dixie.

 ·         131 new businesses opened in Carroll County in 2011

 ·         Tower Support Services, a manufacturer of anchor bolts and anchor bolt assemblies, has chosen McKenzie for its new operations location in 2012.

 ·         West Carroll Junior/Senior High School was named a winner of the Education Consumers Foundation’s 2011 Value-Added Achievement Award as one of the most effective schools in Tennessee for the fifth consecutive time.  West Carroll is the only school in the state to receive this honor five years in a row. 

 ·         Hunter Ridge Apartments, a $3.9 million, 43-unit apartment complex, has been constructed in Huntingdon.  Hunter Ridge opened for occupancy in late 2011.

 ·         McKenzie Medical Center cut the ribbon for the opening of its new 40,000 sq. ft. addition to its facility in December 2011.

 ·         Carroll County’s 2011 Relay for Life teams placed second in the state of Tennessee and in the top 10 in the nation in per capita funds raised for the American Cancer Society.  Relay for Life is just one of the examples of Carroll County residents extending themselves to one another in support of organizations or individuals who need assistance.

 ·         The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce has stepped up to be volunteer case workers for the American Red Cross in order to better help our citizens in the time of need.