{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Rhea \"Skip\" Taylor","chatgptsummary":"Incumbent Fayette County Mayor since 2002; prior to that served eight years on the Fayette County Commission. Lifelong county native raised on his family's farm; B.S. in Agriculture from UT Martin. As mayor cites budgets that require no new property taxes, the establishment of a county-wide fire department, and construction of schools and Baptist-Fayette Hospital as accomplishments. Has filed 2024, 2025, and 2026 Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest forms in the County Mayor capacity. In 2024 was subject of local controversy over the temporary closure of the Bernard Community Center in Mason; the commission subsequently tightened facility-scheduling rules.","notes":"","party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- County Mayor of Fayette County, Tennessee, since being elected in 2002. ([voteskip.com](https://voteskip.com/about-skip/))\n\n## Background and education\n- B.S. in Agriculture, University of Tennessee at Martin. ([voteskip.com](https://voteskip.com/about-skip/))\n\n## Career\n- Lifelong Fayette County native raised on his family's farm; pursued farming full-time after college and became active in civic life through church and agricultural organizations. ([voteskip.com](https://voteskip.com/about-skip/))\n- As mayor, has emphasized budgets that require no new property taxes and oversees the expansion of ambulance service, the establishment of a county-wide fire department, and the construction or renovation of county facilities including schools and Baptist-Fayette Hospital. ([voteskip.com](https://voteskip.com/about-skip/))\n\n- In 2024, Taylor was in the news over a decision to temporarily close the Bernard Community Center in Mason; the county commission subsequently approved new rules requiring public events to be scheduled through the mayor's office. ([Commercial Appeal via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/mason-tn-residents-demand-restoration-100136262.html))\n\n## Office history\n- Eight years on the Fayette County Commission before becoming mayor. ([voteskip.com](https://voteskip.com/about-skip/))\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Mayor (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=TAYLOR&id=2072&f=197128&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Fayette County official/candidate\n- **2025** \u2014 [County Mayor (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=TAYLOR&id=2072&f=183769&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Fayette County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [County Mayor (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=TAYLOR&id=2072&f=178976&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Fayette County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-23.*\n","firstname":"Rhea","lastname":"Taylor","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"dMutw033nZ"},"token":"rhea_skip_taylor"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"fayette","districtgroup":"county","districtgroupname":"County","districtname":null,"job_type":"county_mayor","o.office":"county_mayor","office":"county_mayor","officedescription":"The Fayette County Mayor is the county's chief executive and administrative officer. Duties include preparing the annual budget for the County Commission, overseeing daily operations of county departments (roads, finance, planning, emergency management, etc.), and representing Fayette County in intergovernmental dealings. The Mayor chairs the County Commission but does not vote except to break ties. Fayette's mayor serves a county of roughly 40,000 residents across 14 commission districts.","officequalities":"- Executive management of a small-county government (roads, finance, planning, emergency management) with a modest central staff.\n- Ability to prepare and defend an annual budget before a 14-member County Commission.\n- Intergovernmental capacity: coordinating with Somerville, Rossville, and other municipalities, the state, and federal agencies.\n- Working familiarity with Tennessee county-government law, including open-meetings and procurement rules.\n- Public-facing communication skills for a rural constituency of roughly 40,000 residents.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Mayor","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"County Mayor"}