Darrell Bryan Is A Candidate For Alderman
BY JOHN M. JONES JR., EDITOR
Darrell Bryan of Christy Court is a candidate for 2nd Ward alderman in Greeneville.
The election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 1, but early voting is currently under way and will continue through Thursday, May 27.
Elections for the Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen are conducted on a non-partisan basis. Candidates run for office as individuals rather than as party representatives.
Bryan, 59, is a former mayor of Greeneville. He served four terms as mayor, from 2002-2008.
He and his wife, Naomi, have three grown sons and three grandchildren.
Son Micky and his wife, the former Rachel Moore, live in Apopka, Fla., with their two daughters.
Son Matthew and his wife Alena and their son live in Knoxville, while son Mark, who also lives in Knoxville, is getting married this summer to Heather Mathis of Maryville.
Darrell Bryan is a graduate of the Career Academy of Broadcasting and has taken selected courses at the University of Tennessee.
He is the executive director of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center and the owner of Bryan Management, Inc. He also serves as a consultant.
Bryan is a former president of the Greeneville-Greene County Area Chamber of Commerce and also served as Vice President of Retail Development of that organization.
The Chamber of Commerce was one of a small group of local organizations which merged to become the Greene County Partnership (GCP) in the early 1990s.
Later, he served as a member of the board of directors of the Partnership.
Prior to the establishment of the Partnership, he was for 10 years the chairman of Fall Fest: a downtown festival held in the fall season that was a forerunner of the Iris Festival, which the Partnership began sponsoring in the 1990s.
During the period of time when he was mayor of Greeneville, Bryan served as chairman of the board of directors of the First Tennessee Development District, a position to which he was elected by the other mayors of the Development District.
He also served on a Small Business Roundtable sponsored by the Development District.
He is a member of First Baptist Church of Greeneville and a former chairman of the Long-Range Planning Committee of the church.
He served as chairman of the charter organization for Keep Greene Beautiful and is a former board member of the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County; and Main Street: Greeneville.
He served as coach for various Parks & Recreation Dept. youth teams for a number of years.
Currently, he is a member of the Greene County Partnership Tourism Task Force.
In 2000 he was honored with the Robert C. Austin Distinguished Service to Community Award by the Agribusiness Committee of the Partnership.
He gave the following responses to questions asked of all five candidates for 2nd Ward alderman:
* Why are you a candidate for alderman?
Bryan: "To serve the citizens of Greeneville. My business, community, and government experience gives me special insight into the problems facing the Town of Greeneville, and in these very tough times, I feel that I can make a major contribution."
* What do you believe is the most important quality that an alderman needs in order to handle this complicated, many-faceted job? What in your background and experience do you believe best prepares you for this office?
Bryan: "An alderman needs to be able to work with others, intently listen to the citizens of Greeneville, and work to find solutions to solve real problems.
"As a former radio station owner and manager, I worked with numerous businesses to help make them successful. I was involved in recruiting business and industry, and also spent many hours working with community service projects to help make a better city and county.
"I currently work with NPAC that literally brings thousands of people into the community annually.
"I am still a small-business owner, manager, and I spent six years in local government, giving me a special insight into the problems Greeneville is facing today."
* Think 20 years into the future. How do you see Greeneville in 2030? Do you expect growth by "infilling" within the town limits? Do you anticipate a substantial amount of annexation around the current town limits?
Bryan: "The growth of Greeneville in the immediate past has been very slow, and there is not a whole lot of room for development as it now stands.
"We should always look at annexation, and Greeneville does have growth boundaries already in place, but we need to make sure the Town of Greeneville plans coincide with the Greeneville City School System and the local town departments, including police and fire, in particular.
"We need to make sure as we grow, we can take care of all our financial responsibilities and all of the citizens.
"Twenty years from now I can envision the 'Rediscover Greeneville' project in place, making our downtown a viable place in which to live and work, offering employment that brings our young people back to our town."
* In your opinion, should the person elected/re-elected alderman take any action concerning the controversial 2008 transfer of maintenance staff from the Dept. of Parks & Recreation to the Dept. of Public Works? If so, what action should be taken? Please explain the reasons for your reply?
Bryan: "Yes I do think action needs to be taken. I think that the Recreation Director needs to be in total charge of his department and have instant access without going through another department head to take care of recreation concerns.
"The Advisory Board of the Parks & Rec Dept. should be involved, and make a recommendation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, keeping in mind there are budget restraints. We need to find the most efficient way for the department to operate.
"Recreation can be a major economic development tool for our town by bringing in visitors for tournaments and other events. That is why I think the new Sports Complex is so important.
"The advisory board is a board appointed by the Mayor and Aldermen that has been advising Parks & Rec. for numerous years. They have made many recommendations in the best interest of the town.
"The Board of Mayor and Aldermen should have a vote on a matter of this importance. With one meeting, this situation could have been resolved and cleared the slate so the Town could address other extremely important matters ..."
* Within the last 10 years, have you been a business partner, property co-owner, etc., with any other candidate for mayor or alderman? If so, give the basic details. Would you see it as a problem for current or recent business partners to serve together on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen? Why or why not?
Bryan: "Yes, I have been always believed in downtown Greeneville. I invested in the downtown property, Main Street Place, Inc., more than 20 years ago, with a group that includes W. T. Daniels.
"This was a long-term investment, and even then I was interested in the future of downtown Greeneville. During the six years I was mayor, that was never an issue, and I am confident that it would not be an issue if I was elected alderman.
"This ownership was included in my disclosure to the state while serving as mayor of Greeneville, and recently in my disclosure statement as candidate for alderman.
"I believe that just because you are involved in business, does not mean that you agree on all issues.
"As a business and property owner in Greeneville, that gives me more reason to fight for the businesses and citizens of Greeneville.
"In a small town many people are related, and there are many overlapping business ventures. That is one thing that helps make small town America prosper."
* Closing Highland School has been mentioned as a real possibility after the upcoming 2010-11 school year, to balance the school budget. What is your position on this question?
Bryan: "I feel that education is extremely important to our town, and I feel confident that the Director of Schools, other consulting personnel, and the School Board will have a greater insight.
"They too are having major financial concerns, and I would look forward to hearing their views before making a final decision.
"Again, I feel that it is important for the citizens to have an aldeas an that has worked closely with educators as I have, and I will continue to do so."
* What steps do you see as appropriate and needed in the Greeneville Historic District?
Bryan: "We need to work with Main Street: Greeneville in every way possible. As a former board member of Main Street: Greeneville and as a building-owner, I appreciate their hard work in promoting and preserving downtown Greeneville.
"We need to continue to clean up property, as I started six years ago as mayor. And if there be safety concerns with buildings, take proper action."
* Are you comfortable with Greeneville's current level of long-term debt? Why or why not?
Bryan: "As anyone that knows me very well will attest, I do not like debt, and I am never comfortable with long-term debt, but I think that it has been necessary, in particular because of the renovation of the high school and other school projects.
"I think we need to look at any way to improve the long-term financing that would decrease interest payments and help us pay off the debt quicker."
* Unemployment has been very high during the past year, and while somewhat better now, is still around 15 percent. What, if anything, can the Greeneville Mayor (or Board of Mayor and Aldermen) do to help employers keep jobs here, and help in attracting new jobs and employers?
Bryan: "I think the Mayor and Aldermen can work with existing industry to see what their needs might be in Greeneville.
"We should work with the Greene County Partnership, the County Commission, other local governments (Tusculum, Mosheim and Baileyton), and the State of Tennessee, TVA, and any other organizations to find out how to bring jobs to Greeneville and Greene County.
"Through the years I have been involved in recruiting business and industry, including retail. I have visited in almost every industry in our county. I was involved with many other leaders in helping to save Plus Mark; therefore I know a cooperative effort does work."
* If you wish to comment on something not covered in a question, please feel free to do so:
Bryan: "Nothing has been asked about public safety. If our citizens aren't safe, nothing else matters.
Bryan: "Nothing has been asked about public safety. If our citizens aren't safe, nothing else matters.
"No matter what our budget issues are, I think we need to maintain our police and fire departments in order to keep our citizens safe.
"I think the three important issues right now are economic development, safety, and education.
"This is a very critical time for the citizens of Greeneville, and I am already involved in many of the issues that I have discussed in this questionnaire.
"As your alderman, I can do even more in an official capacity. I would appreciate your vote on June 1."
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