Hawkins County, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Hawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. As of 2010, the population was 56,833. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Rogersville
Rogersville, Tennessee
Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

, Tennessee's second-oldest town.

Hawkins County is part of the Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

Bristol (TN)
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...

Bristol (VA)
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA MSA
The Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget...

, which is a component of the Johnson City
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...

–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

 – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities, Tennessee
In Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...

" region.

Government

Hawkins County is governed by a twenty-one member County Commission. The chief executive officer of the county is the County Mayor.

County Mayor

The Tennessee Constitution provides for the election of an executive officer - referred to as the County Mayor - in each county. The County Mayor is elected by popular vote at the regular August election every four years, coinciding with the Governor's election, and may serve an unlimited number of terms. The County Mayor (formerly County Executive) is Chief Executive Officer of the county. The County Mayor exercises a role of leadership in county government and is responsible for the County's fiscal management and other executive functions.

The County Mayor is the general agent of the county and thus may draw warrants upon the General Fund. 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 Commission and of all its committees, and may be elected chairman of the county legislative body (a post that the County Mayor is not required to seek or accept). The County Mayor may call special meetings of the County Commission. Unless an optional general law or private act provides otherwise, the County Mayor compiles a budget for all county departments, offices, and agencies, which is presented to the County Commission.

The current Mayor of Hawkins County is Melville Bailey (R-Rogersville).

Composition

The Hawkins County Board of Commissioners, also called the County Commission, is the legislative body of the County government and as such it is the primary policy-making body in the County. It consists of 21 elected members, three from each of the 7 civil districts of Hawkins County. Each member serves a four-year term of office.

The County Commission operates with a committee structure - most Commission business is first considered by a committee of its members before coming to the full Commission. The County Clerk serves as the Secretary to the Board of Commissioners and is responsible for maintaining all official records of the meetings.

Powers and responsibilities

The most important function of the county legislative body is the annual adoption of a budget to allocate expenditures within the three major funds of county government - general, school, and highway - and any other funds (such as debt service) that may be in existence in that particular county. The county legislative body has considerable discretion in dealing with the budget for all funds except the school budget, which in most counties must be accepted or rejected as a whole. If rejected, the school board must continue to propose alternatives until a budget is adopted by both the county school board and the county legislative body.

The county legislative body sets a property tax rate which, along with revenues from other county taxes and fees as well as state and federal monies allocated to the county, are used to fund the budget. The county legislative body is subject to various restrictions in imposing most taxes (such as referendum approval or rate limits, for example), although these do not apply to the property tax. The University of Tennessee's County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) publishes the County Revenue Manual to assist county officials in identifying sources of county revenue.

The county legislative body serves an important role in exercising local approval authority for private acts when the private act does not call for referendum approval. Private acts, which often give additional authority to counties, must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the members of the county legislative body or be approved by a referendum in order to become effective. The form of local approval required is specified in the private act. The county legislative body annually elects a chairman and a chairman pro tempore. The county legislative body may elect the county executive or a member of the body to be the chairman, although the county executive may refuse to serve. If the county executive is chairman, he or she may vote only to break a tie vote. If a member is chairman, the member votes as a member, but cannot vote again to break a tie. If the county executive is not chairman, he or she may veto most resolutions of the county legislative body, but this veto may be overridden by a majority vote. The majority vote that is required for this and the passage of resolutions or other measures is a majority of the entire actual membership of the county legislative body, and not a majority of the quorum, nor a majority of the authorized membership.

Another important function of the county legislative body is its role in electing county officers when there is a vacancy in an elected county office. The person elected by the county legislative body serves in the office for the remainder of the term or until a successor is elected, depending upon when the vacancy occurred. When filling a vacancy in a county office, the county legislative body must publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least one week prior to the meeting in which the vote will be taken. This notice must state the time, place and date of the meeting and the office to be filled. Also, members of the county legislative body must have at least ten days notice. The legislative body holds an open election to fill the vacancy and allows all citizens the privilege of offering as candidates.

Current members

  • District 1: Allandale & Mt. Carmel
    Mount Carmel, Tennessee
    Mount Carmel is a town located in Hawkins County, Tennessee. As of the 2005 estimate, the town had a total population of 5500. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA...

    • Dwight Carter (Mt. Carmel)
    • Thomas Wheeler (Mt. Carmel)
    • Syble Vaughan-Trent (Mt. Carmel
      Kingsport, Tennessee
      Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

      )

  • District 2: Church Hill
    Church Hill, Tennessee
    Church Hill is a city in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

     & McPheeter's Bend
    • Dustin Dean (Church Hill
      Church Hill, Tennessee
      Church Hill is a city in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

      )
    • Jeff Thacker (Church Hill
      Church Hill, Tennessee
      Church Hill is a city in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

      )
    • B.D. Cradic (Church Hill
      Church Hill, Tennessee
      Church Hill is a city in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

      )

  • District 3: Carter's Valley, Wallace, & Watterson
    • Danny Alvis (Surgoinsville
      Surgoinsville, Tennessee
      Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...

      )
    • Stacy Vaughan (Church Hill
      Surgoinsville, Tennessee
      Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...

      )
    • Hubert Neal (Surgoinsville
      Surgoinsville, Tennessee
      Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...

      )

  • District 4: Dykes, Keplar, North Rogersville
    Rogersville, Tennessee
    Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

    , Surgoinsville
    Surgoinsville, Tennessee
    Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...

    , & Upper Beech
    • Joe McLain (Surgoinsville
      Surgoinsville, Tennessee
      Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...

      )
    • Linda Kimbro (Surgoinsville
      Surgoinsville, Tennessee
      Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...

      )
    • Virgil Mallett (Rogersville
      Surgoinsville, Tennessee
      Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...

      )

  • District 5: Rogersville
    Rogersville, Tennessee
    Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

    • Glenda Davis (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )
    • Charlie Freeman (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )
    • John C. Metz (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )

  • District 6: Alumwell, Choptack, Clinch, & Mooresburg
    • Shane Bailey (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )
    • Gary Hicks, Jr. (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )
    • Darrell Gilliam (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )

  • District 7: Bulls Gap
    Bulls Gap, Tennessee
    Bulls Gap is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 714 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

    , Cherokee, & St. Clair
    • Lynn Short (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )
    • Charlie Newton (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )
    • Robert Palmer (Rogersville
      Rogersville, Tennessee
      Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

      )

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the county has a total area of 500 square miles (1,295 km²), of which 487 square miles (1,261.3 km²) is land and 13 square miles (33.7 km²) (2.60%) is water.

Adjacent counties

  • Lee County, Virginia
    Lee County, Virginia
    According to the census 2009 estimates, there were 25001 people, 11,587 households, and 6,852 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 11,587 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...

     (north)
  • Sullivan County (east)
  • Greene County (south)
  • Hamblen County and Grainger County (southwest)
  • Hancock County (west)
  • Scott County, Virginia
    Scott County, Virginia
    As of the census of 2000, there were 23,403 people, 9,795 households, and 7,023 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile . There were 11,355 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...

     (northeast)
  • Washington County, Tennessee (southeast)

Major highways

  • U.S. Highway 11W, Lee Highway
  • U.S. Highway 11E
  • Primary State Highways
    • State Route 70, Trail of the Lonesome Pine
    • State Route 66
    • State Route 31
  • Secondary State Highways
    • State Route 94
    • State Route 113
    • State Route 172
    • State Route 344
    • State Route 346
    • State Route 347
      State Route 347 (Tennessee)
      State Route 347 is a state-maintained, secondary highway in eastern Tennessee, beginning at Interstate 26 in the Rock Springs community of Kingsport and ending at the intersection of U.S. Route 11W and State Route 70 in Rogersville....

    • State Route 714

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 53,563 people, 21,936 households, and 15,925 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 110 people per square mile (42/km²). There were 24,416 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.24% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.55% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.17% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.23% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.23% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.78% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race.

Age distribution

There were 21,936 households out of which 31.30% had children under the living with them, 59.30% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.30% under the , 7.50% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

Income

The median income for a household in the county was $31,300, and the median income for a family was $37,557. Males had a median income of $30,959 versus $22,082 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $16,073. About 12.70% of families and 15.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.40% of those under age 18 and 17.70% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

  • Bulls Gap
    Bulls Gap, Tennessee
    Bulls Gap is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 714 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

  • Church Hill
    Church Hill, Tennessee
    Church Hill is a city in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

  • Kingsport
    Kingsport, Tennessee
    Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

  • Mount Carmel
    Mount Carmel, Tennessee
    Mount Carmel is a town located in Hawkins County, Tennessee. As of the 2005 estimate, the town had a total population of 5500. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA...

  • Rogersville
    Rogersville, Tennessee
    Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....

  • Surgoinsville
    Surgoinsville, Tennessee
    Surgoinsville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,484 at the 2000 census.In 2003 the estimated population was 1,691...


Unincorporated communities

  • Eidson
    Eidson, Tennessee
    Eidson is an unincorporated community located on Clinch Mountain in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

  • Mooresburg
  • St. Clair

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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