THOMAS J. HARRISON, V  -  COUNTY MAYOR            Website

Hancock County Courthouse
1246 Main Street
P.O. Box 347
Sneedville, TN 37869
(423) 733-4341

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed Saturday

As chief executive officer of the county, the county mayor exercises a role of leadership in county government. The primary duties focus on county financial management. The county mayor is the general agent of the county and thus may draw warrants upon the general fund unless otherwise provided in an optional general law or county charter. The county mayor has custody of county property not placed with other officers, and may also examine the accounts of county officers. The county mayor is a nonvoting ex officio member of the county legislative body and of all committees of the body, and in most counties may be elected chair of the county legislative body (a post that the county mayor is not required to seek or accept). If the county mayor is chair of the county legislative body, the county mayor may break a tie by casting a deciding vote; otherwise, the county mayor cannot vote on measures before the county legislative body. The county mayor who is not chair may veto legislative resolutions of the county legislative body, but such a veto may be overridden by a majority vote of the members of the county legislative body. The county mayor may call special meetings of the county legislative body. Unless an optional general law, charter or private act provides otherwise, the county mayor compiles a budget for all county departments, offices, and agencies, which is presented to the county legislative body. The amount of discretion in making budget proposals varies from county to county, and in almost all counties, the school board’s budget proposal is submitted to the county legislative body without modification. If the county operates under the 1981 Financial Management System, the county mayor is a member of the financial management committee. If the county operates under the 1957 County Budgeting Law, the county mayor is a member of the county budget committee. The county mayor may employ a county attorney if a county attorney is not provided by private act or charter, and has approval power over the delinquent tax attorney selected by the county trustee. By virtue of private acts, the county mayor is often granted authority in addition to that given by the general law. For example, in many counties, the county mayor serves as county purchasing agent. The county mayor also serves on various boards and committees with multi-county jurisdiction, such as the development district board. Subject to the approval of the county legislative body, the county mayor appoints department heads and members of county boards and commissions when the general law or private acts do not provide for the election or appointment. However, this authority is limited as the general law or private act creating the department or board usually specifies the method by which the various department heads or board members are selected.


LAYMON BURKE -  COUNTY ROAD SUPERINTENDENT         Webpage

1064 Main Street
P.O. Box 65
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-2201

In counties not under the CUHL, the duties of highway officials are determined by private act or county or metropolitan charter. In counties under the CUHL, the CAO has certain duties that cannot be displaced by private act. For example, the CAO determines the number of employees and establishes personnel policies, compensation of employees and hours of work, so long as the budget is not exceeded. Also, the CAO may employ legal counsel or solicit the use of counsel retained by the county to prosecute or defend litigation concerning the county highway department. The CAO submits to the county legislative body and to the Tennessee department of transportation, an annual work program for the use of state-aid funds. The CAO supervises and controls the machinery, equipment, tools and supplies of the department and must complete an inventory within 60 days of taking office that must be updated annually. The CAO must ensure that equipment belonging to the county road department is clearly marked. The CAO must file with the county legislative body an annual listing of all roads included in the county highway system. This listing must include a detailed summary of all changes from the previous listing and recommendations for classifying the roads, adding roads, or removing roads from the system. Under the CUHL, the CAO also determines work priorities and general highway policy, except in those counties with a popularly elected highway commission where this duty has been otherwise assigned by a private act.


CHARLOTTE MULLINS  -  DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS            Webpage

418 Harrison Street
P.O. Box 629
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-2591

The director of schools works under the direction of the Board of Education and is responsible for administrative work of considerable difficulty in developing policies, procedures, and guidelines for the management and operation of the school system. The director of schools is responsible for directing, administering, planning and developing policies and procedures for the day-to-day management and operation of the school system and all of the system's programs, activities and services. Work involves the development and management of the Board's budget for the efficient operation of the school system. The director is also responsible for identifying and assessing educational as well as non-education needs and developing immediate and long-range plans for meeting these needs. Work includes providing day-to-day leadership to personnel in development of policy and procedures. Work involves interpreting board policy and recommending to the board policy change. The director follows board policy and directives as enacted by the board.


SUE GREER  -  ADMINISTRATOR OF ELECTIONS             Webpage

1237 Main Street
P.O. Box 423
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-4549

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed Saturday

The Administrator of Elections keeps voter registration records, maintains voting histories for each voter, and provides information concerning voter registration, absentee voting, elections, campaigns, and campaign financial disclosures. The Administrator of Elections also qualifies prospective candidates for ballots and trains poll officials.

BRAD BREWER - SHERIFF       Website

265 New Jail Street
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-2249


The duties of the sheriff’s office are quite varied. Except in Davidson County, the sheriff has the important duty to prevent crimes, investigate criminal conduct that has occurred, and arrest criminals. Sheriffs and their deputies must be thoroughly acquainted with the Tennessee criminal code. The sheriff should develop a good working relationship with the staff of the district attorney general’s office. Sheriffs also serve as jailers and many serve as superintendent of the county workhouse (in many counties, the jail is also the workhouse). County jails are responsible for the housing of misdemeanant prisoners. Many county jails also house state prisoners (persons convicted of felony offenses) due to lack of space in state prison facilities. The sheriffs in these counties perform important functions in obtaining state reimbursement for expenses associated with housing state prisoners. Additional duties related to criminal casework require the sheriff to dispose of contraband, abandoned motor vehicles, and unlawful weapons. Sheriffs also have many duties that are civil in nature. They include the duty to execute and return, according to law, the civil process and orders of the courts of record and general sessions courts. Sheriffs and their deputies serve subpoenas, execute writs of possession, levy writs of execution (which involve taking property to satisfy judgments), serve garnishments, and serve orders of protection. Each of these civil duties, as well as many others, have specific requirements, time requirements, and duties with which the sheriff and deputy sheriffs must be familiar. Additionally, the sheriff, or an officer designated by the sheriff, must attend all courts held in the county. Generally, a deputy sheriff acts as court officer or bailiff. Sheriffs and their deputies operate under strict legal standards and must strive to perform their duties correctly. Failure to respect the civil rights of citizens, including prisoners, can result in personal liability under federal law. The actions of sheriffs and deputies often serve as the basis of lawsuits initiated by persons displeased with what has happened to them. Sheriffs must be acquainted with the civil and criminal aspects of the federal civil rights laws, the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, and numerous other laws.


CHUCK JOHNSON  -  TRUSTEE              Website

1237 Main Street
P.O. Box 269 
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-2939

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed Saturday


The trustee acts as the general banker for the county, serving three primary functions. First, the trustee sends out statements for property taxes, one of the county’s most important revenue sources, and then collects these taxes and issues receipts. The trustee appoints the delinquent tax attorney subject to the approval of the county mayor. Second, the trustee receives and disburses county funds, keeping accurate records for each transaction. It is recommended that all county funds received by the trustee’s office be deposited daily; however, state law requires all funds to be deposited within three days. Revenues are identified by use of a uniform chart of accounts authorized by the comptroller’s office and administered by the county audit division. Disbursements of county funds are made on official county warrants that are recorded in a warrant register book, or through a checking system if the county has elected to convert from a warrant system. The trustee files monthly and annual financial reports. For performing these duties, the trustee receives commissions, which are generally outlined in T.C.A. § 8-11-110. A third important function of the county trustee is managing the cash flow of the county and, in some cases, investing idle cash funds. The trustee should work with the county finance committee to ensure that investments are made according to state law and produce the maximum yield of earnings with the highest degree of safety.

MICAH WALLEN  -  CIRCUIT COURT CLERK       Webpage

1237 Main Street
P.O. Box 347 
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-2954

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed Saturday


Court clerks serve an important role in the operation of the court system in Tennessee. Clerks must attend each session of court with all the papers in the cases on the docket and must administer the oaths to parties and witnesses who testify in a case. Clerks usually keep minutes of the court in a well-bound book, but may keep this information in electronic format so long as certain rules relating to the safe-keeping of the records are followed. Because court clerks deal with voluminous paperwork, the storage and retention of documents are important considerations. When a case is appealed from a court of record, the clerk compiles the record (papers) needed for the appeal, and it is extremely important that the records of the clerk’s office be well organized and accurate. Clerks maintain the rule docket and an execution docket in which all court judgments or decrees are entered in order of rendition by the court and in which all receipts and disbursements in a case are entered. Clerks also maintain indexes for all books and dockets that are kept by the office. Clerks collect state and county litigation taxes, criminal injuries compensation tax, county expense fees, funds for the impaired driver’s trust fund, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation fees, misdemeanant jail per diems, fines, sheriff’s fees, clerk’s fees, witness fees, other taxes and other items of court costs. Clerks prepare bills of costs in cases, account for these monies and make collection efforts when these amounts are unpaid. Clerks collect fees for their office according to the clerk’s fee statute, T.C.A. § 8-21-401 and other applicable statutes. Clerks maintain a cash journal (general ledger) to account for and summarize the cash transactions of the office and issue receipts for all collections. Clerks often serve in a fiduciary capacity to invest funds held for third parties. Additionally, many clerks conduct delinquent tax sales and other sales of property as ordered by the court. Clerks may collect support, including alimony and child support, pursuant to court order and the general law.

WILLIAM J. "BILL" SEAL  -  ASSESSOR OF PROPERTY         Webpage

1237 Main Street
P.O. Box 347 
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-2332

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed Saturday


The assessor determines the value of all property in the county, whether real, personal or mixed, including mineral rights, leaseholds, and all other nonexempt property except property of public utilities valued by the state. The assessor maintains the property tax maps of the county and keeps current indexes of taxpayers, including a description of the property on the assessment books sufficient to identify it. The assessor also reports assessments to the local and state boards of equalization. Taxpayers who feel that the assessor has placed an unfair value on their property may appeal to the local board of equalization and then to the state board of equalization.

JANIE LAMB  -  REGISTER OF DEEDS              Webpage

1237 Main Street
P.O. Box 347 
Sneedville, TN  37869
(423) 733-4545

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed Saturday


The most important function of the register’s office is the filing or recording of documents that affect the legal status of real and personal property. With regard to real property, these documents include deeds, deeds of trust (mortgages), financing statements called fixture filings under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), assignments, plats, court decrees, leases, liens, releases, and many other instruments. With regard to personal property, the most important documents have been financing statements under the UCC and instruments relating to financing statements, such as amendments and termination statements; however, most of these UCC documents are now filed with the secretary of state and not with the register. Powers of attorney are often recorded in the register’s office. Also, some official documents (county official bonds and certain official reports) are recorded or filed in the register’s office. The register notes in a notebook (or its electronic equivalent) the time and receipt of each document in the order received and maintains indexes of the records of the office. The register must be familiar with the requirements for acceptance applicable to each document. The prerequisites for acceptance of a document vary with the type of document. It is important to remember that a register is not a notary and does not have a statutory power to take acknowledgments, as do county clerks. The register has important revenue functions, both for the collection of fees for performing the duties of the office (most of which are found in T.C.A. § 8-21-1001) and collection of two state privilege taxes—the transfer tax and the “mortgage” tax (a tax on recording documents evidencing an indebtedness). Currently, the state realty transfer tax is 37 cents per $100 of value or consideration, and the “mortgage” tax is 11.5 cents per $100 or major fraction thereof over $2,000 of indebtedness. The register must be knowledgeable concerning the many special rules and exceptions that apply to the collection of these taxes. Also, the register must be knowledgeable about the required statements on instruments evidencing transfers of real estate or certain interests in real estate and instruments of indebtedness.

JESSIE ROYSTON  -  COUNTY CLERK           Webpage

418 Harrison Street
P.O. Box 575 
Sneedville, TN  37869

jessie.royston@tn.gov

phone: (423) 733-2519   fax: (423) 733-4509


Hours of Operation:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm;  Thursday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm; closed Saturday

The Hancock County Clerk is a constitutional officer elected to a four-year term. One of the Clerk’s primary functions is to keep the official minutes and records of the activities of the Hancock County Commission and its Standing Committees. The County Clerk also maintains records of marriage licenses and automobile titles issued in the County. The County Clerk also has the responsibility to receive fees, set by state law, for various transactions, such as motor vehicle registration and automobile titles, drivers’ license renewals, notary commissions, marriage licenses, boat registration, hunting and fishing license, and business license. We assist the State Department of Revenue in collecting automobile sales tax and privilege taxes. All revenues in excess of operating expenses are transferred to the County general fund for the maintenance and improvement of public services. 


JUDITH H. TRENT  -  CLERK & MASTER          Webpage

Hancock County Courthouse 
1237 Main Street 
P.O. Box 347 
423-733-4524
Sneedville, TN 37869 

judith.trent@tncourts.gov

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; closed Saturday

The Chancery Court is a Trial Court of general original jurisdiction of all cases of an equitable nature. Established by the Constitution of the State of Tennessee, the Chancery Court has original jurisdiction as a Court of Equity. The Clerk & Master's office handles the case files for both the Chancery and the Probate Courts. Cases filed in these courts include estate distributions, divorces, custody matters, paternity cases, adoptions, real estate matters, contract disputes, worker's compensation, partition suits, appeals from lower courts, conservatorships/guardianships, and other civil and domestic relations matters. Child Support enforcement cases are filed in this office, and child support collections are handled. This office also collects delinquent property tax for the County. Pursuant to Local Rules, probate matters require representation by an attorney. The Clerk and Master is the principal administrative aide to the Chancery Court . The Clerk and Master is appointed by the Chancellor for a six-year term pursuant to the State Constitution.