The Mountain District is at a turning point. Major decisions about roads, water, land use, and growth are being made right now — on timelines set by state and federal agencies, not by the community. Most residents have never been told the full picture.
This page is not about politics. It is about what is actually happening in this district and what it means for the people who live here.
Over $646 million in public funds is moving through this district.
That is not a typo. Between a $338.5 million federal highway project, water infrastructure grants, and the county's annual operating budget, more than half a billion dollars in public money is currently in motion — for projects that will shape this district for the next 20 to 30 years.
A federal highway project redesigning the main corridor into this district. Right-of-way acquisition begins FY 2032. Construction FY 2036.
American Rescue Plan funds awarded to Blount County between 2021 and 2025 for water and sewer infrastructure.
A TDEC grant awarded December 2023 to the South Blount and Tuckaleechee Utility Districts serving the Townsend area.
Townsend sits at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the most visited national park in the country. The town's water infrastructure was built for roughly 550 permanent residents. The park sees 13 million visitors a year. There is no sewer system. The water infrastructure grants moving through this district now are sized for a very different future. The question is whether that future was planned with residents, or for them.
The Mountain District — District 8B
$0M
in verified public funds flowing
into District 8B infrastructure
These are not projections. Every figure is sourced from public records, TDOT plans, and federal grant databases.
$338.5M
SR-162 Pellissippi Pkwy Extension
TDOT 10-Year Plan / Transportation Modernization Act
Right-of-way FY 2026 (accelerated) · Construction FY 2036
$26.1M
Federal Water & Sewer Infrastructure
ARPA / EPA / TDEC — South Blount & Tuckaleechee Utility Districts
3 grants awarded 2022–2024
$6.6M
ARP Water Infrastructure Grant (TDEC)
TDEC Open Records — Awarded December 2023
South Blount/Tuckaleechee Utility District
The Money Moved Fast. The Plan Did Not.
Infrastructure built for thousands of new connections — before a community plan was in place to guide where that growth should go.
Over $30 million in ARPA and TDEC water grants flow to Blount County utility districts. The infrastructure is sized for significant capacity expansion — far beyond current population.
Blount County's Comprehensive Plan stalls for nearly four years. State guidelines call for 12–18 months. The infrastructure it was supposed to guide was already in the ground before the plan was approved.
TDOT moves Pellissippi Parkway right-of-way acquisition from FY 2032 to FY 2026 — six years earlier than scheduled. No county commission briefing. No press release to affected landowners.
Right-of-way acquisition is underway. Property owners in the corridor are being contacted. The project that was a decade away is happening now.
Here is what this looks like on the ground.
These are not distant policy questions. They are practical realities that will affect daily life in District 8B over the next decade.
The Pellissippi Parkway extension is not a quick project. Right-of-way acquisition is underway now — moved up six years from the original FY 2032 schedule. Construction is set to begin in FY 2036. That means years of land surveys and property negotiations already in progress, and years of construction traffic to follow.
When a federal highway project moves through a district, some landowners face forced sales at assessed value. If the road passes near but not through your property, values may rise — or commercial development may follow the new corridor and change the character of your neighborhood.
The grants moving through this district will determine where water and sewer infrastructure gets built, and where it does not. Those decisions shape where development can go for the next generation. They are being made now.
Blount County's Comprehensive Plan was finally approved by the Planning Commission in February 2026 — nearly four years after it was initiated. The infrastructure it was supposed to guide was already in the ground. The plan is now before the County Commission.
This is not speculation about what might happen. The visitors are already coming. The development pressure is already here. The question is whether the community has a voice in what comes next — or whether it finds out after the decisions are made.
When this much moves this fast, residents deserve to know.
None of this is a scandal. These are normal processes — federal highway planning, infrastructure grants, county budgets. They happen in every district. The difference is whether the community is informed while there is still time to weigh in, or whether they find out after the decisions are locked in.
"When this much public money and infrastructure moves this quickly, residents deserve clear communication and steady representation. That is the standard. I am running to raise it."
This is not about blame. It is about what the moment requires. The Mountain District is at a turning point, and the people who live here deserve a commissioner who shows up, does the homework, and tells them the truth.
Every figure on this page is sourced from public records.
The full archive — TDOT plans, TDEC grant records, county budgets, FOIA responses, and more — is available in the Public Library. Three key documents to start with:
Be informed. Stay engaged.
The primary election is May 5, 2026. Early voting runs April 15–30. If you live in District 8B, your vote in this race shapes who is in the room when the next decision gets made.
Support the Campaign
Help Christina reach every voter in District 8B before May 5.