The Blount Partnership:
What the Record Shows
The Blount Partnership is the most powerful private organization in Blount County. It administers state economic development grants, manages a government-chartered tourism authority, and shapes the county's legislative agenda in Nashville. Most residents have never heard of it.
Every claim on this page is sourced to a public document. All sources are linked at the bottom.
What the Blount Partnership Is
The Blount Partnership is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit — no income taxes, no donor disclosure required. It is described in its own audited financial statements as "a cooperative effort between four of Blount County's key development organizations":
All four share staff, facilities, and technology under one roof. The Partnership's CEO, Bryan Daniels, simultaneously serves as President/CEO of all four entities. A single private organization — with a single unelected CEO — effectively controls the county's industrial recruitment, tourism development authority, and charitable foundation. It is audited under Government Auditing Standards because it handles public money.
Financial Profile
Drawn from IRS Form 990 filings and audited financial statements via ProPublica and the Tennessee Comptroller. Two years stand out immediately.
The 2019 spike ($22.4M) remains unexplained.
$21.85M in "contributions and grants" received and spent in the same year — consistent with a large pass-through government grant. The specific source has not been identified in available public records.
The 2022 spike ($12.9M) is fully documented.
Two FastTrack grants totaling $10,500,000 funded facility improvements. The Tennessee FastTrack database confirms Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. received $9,000,000 — a $124.5M capital investment, 750 jobs.
CEO Compensation
Bryan Daniels received total compensation of $316,833 in the most recent filing period (prior year: ~$295,298). He is not elected, not appointed by any public body, and not subject to any public accountability mechanism. His salary exceeds that of most elected officials in the state of Tennessee.
The Comptroller's Audit Finding
Grant Accounting and Reporting
- ▸The Partnership received and expended $9,000,000 in state financial assistance in 2022 but did not file its audited financial statements with the Comptroller within the required six-month window — a violation of its grant contract.
- ▸Grant revenues and expenses were not reported correctly for 2022 and 2023 — shown net rather than gross, misstating the financial statements.
Management's explanation: They were "unaware" of both requirements.
An organization that administers $10.5 million in state grants failed to comply with its own grant contracts and misstated its financial statements for two consecutive years. The Comptroller required a formal corrective action plan with a completion date of September 30, 2024.
The District 8B Commissioner and the SMTDA Board
The Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority (SMTDA) is a government-chartered tourism authority — one of the four entities that make up the Blount Partnership. It has real public powers, including the ability to levy hotel/motel taxes and manage publicly-owned tourism assets. Its board is made up of business representatives, city managers, and one seat designated for the "Blount County Mayor or County Commission Representative."
That seat carries weight. Whoever holds it is sitting at the table where decisions about Townsend's tourism development are made — the same development this community has been fighting to shape.
Here is the Blount Partnership's own 2024 Annual Report — the official Boards of Directors page:
Blount Partnership 2024 Annual Report, p. 11 — Boards of Directors. The green table is the SMTDA board. Bottom row: "Blount County Mayor or County Commission Rep. — Jeff Jopling, Blount County Commissioner." · Source: Blount Partnership / blountpartnership.com
According to the Partnership's own published annual reports, that seat has been held by Jeff Jopling, Blount County Commissioner for District 8B, in every year from 2019 through 2024 — the entirety of his time in office.
The SMTDA board also includes Chad Rochelle of Dogwood Cabins as the Business/Resident Representative for the Walland/Townsend area — a short-term rental operator in the same corridor that Jopling oversees as commissioner.
Residents deserve a commissioner whose accountability runs to them — not to the organizations that benefit from the decisions they make.
Townsend Christmas Parade — an election year. Commissioner Jopling in the community's own parade. The sign on the carriage advertises his business, not his role as District 8B Commissioner. · Source: Jeff Jopling / Facebook
What the CEO Said — and What Happened Next
October 15, 2024 — CPAC Meeting
"There is no going back. We will operate an events and activity center."
— Bryan Daniels, CEO, Blount Partnership · Community Plan Advisory Committee meeting
Daniels told the CPAC — the public planning committee — that the Partnership's plans for the Townsend Visitor Center were settled. Not a proposal. Not a discussion. A declaration.
February 2025 — HB 0980 / SB 0965 Introduced
Months after that declaration, the Blount Partnership pursued a state legislative bill that would allow a tourism development authority to petition for de-annexation of its property from a municipality — effectively removing the Townsend Visitor Center from the city's jurisdiction. The City of Townsend had not agreed to this. Residents had not been consulted.
March 2025 — Townsend Residents Take to the Street
Townsend residents organized public protests at the Visitor Center. The story was covered by WATE 6 News, WVLT, WBIR, and The Daily Times. Signs read: "STOP HB0980," "STOP BLOUNT PARTNERSHIP POWER GRAB," "CITIZENS NOT FESTIVALS," "NO POLITICAL BACKROOM DEALS."
Townsend residents protest HB 0980 — March 2025
Police presence at the Visitor Center during protests
WATE 6 News — "TOWNSEND DEANNEXATION / BLOUNT COUNTY" · Signs: "CITIZENS NOT FESTIVALS" · "NO POLITICAL BACKROOM DEALS"
County Commissioner Mike Akard publicly described the bill as giving the Partnership "a trump card to hold in case their property ownership rights are stepped upon." Bryan Daniels described de-annexation as "a last resort." An agreement between the Partnership and the City of Townsend was announced on April 11, 2025, deferring the question. The bill was not withdrawn.
Press Coverage
"We feel confident and we can work through challenges, but we would also like another alternative, because everybody loses if you have to go to court." — Bryan Daniels, CEO
Questions Worth Asking
These are not accusations — they are the natural questions that arise from the documented record, and the kind of questions a commissioner should be asking on behalf of residents.
The source of $21.85M in 'contributions and grants' has not been identified in available public records. A public records request to TNECD for all FastTrack grants administered by the Blount Partnership from 2017 to 2020 would likely answer this question.
The annual reports document six consecutive years of board membership. They do not document attendance. A public records request to the SMTDA for meeting minutes and attendance records from 2019 to 2025 would answer this question.
The audit references a 'Joint Operating Agreement' governing the relationship between the Partnership and its member organizations. This document defines governance structure, financial obligations, and decision-making authority. It has not been publicly reviewed.
The Partnership and City of Townsend reached an agreement on April 11, 2025, deferring the de-annexation question. The bill was not withdrawn. It remains available as a legislative tool. Residents deserve to know under what conditions it would be reactivated.
Every factual claim on this page is sourced to a public document. No claim is made that any individual or organization engaged in illegal conduct. The purpose of this page is to document the public record and make it accessible to residents of Blount County.
Paid for by Christina Delaney for Blount County Commission · District 8B · Townsend, TN