Ballot Project

← Back to Tipton County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06

Contest for County Commission District 1

general - Partisan - County Commissioner
Elect 2 candidates

About this office

A county commissioner is a member of the county's legislative body. The commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, authorizes borrowing, and passes county resolutions and ordinances. Commissioners are elected from districts (or at-large seats) to represent constituents on countywide policy.

Term length: 4 years.

This role calls for

  • Policy judgment on countywide matters — budget, taxes, land use, services, and intergovernmental issues — within Tennessee county-government law.
  • Budget literacy: the commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes multi-year bond issues.
  • Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; committee work that pre-screens items.
  • Constituent relations in the district — case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.
  • Willingness to complete the state-required annual continuing education through UT CTAS.

Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.

Campaigns

Shelia G. Barlow

Shelia G. Barlow

Independent
👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
Barlow's biography shows four years of service as a sitting county commissioner, demonstrating direct experience with budget approval, legislative voting, and constituent relations within Tennessee county law. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate prior experience in multi-year bond issuance or state-mandated continuing education completion.
Rusty Wooten

Rusty Wooten

Independent
👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
Wooten's biography shows current service as District 1 commissioner and a 2022 reelection victory, demonstrating familiarity with local legislative processes and constituent relations. The record does not indicate specific experience in budget literacy or state-mandated continuing education through UT CTAS. Bio does not indicate prior experience managing countywide budgets or drafting complex ordinances.
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