Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell confirmed Friday that he will retire after this term and not seek reelection in 2026. Mitchell, who has served four terms as mayor, began informing county staff and friends earlier this week before making the official statement on Friday.
Mitchell, an Everett High and Tusculum College alum, has served as the county’s executive since 2010. His decision to not seek a fifth term leaves two county-wide races without an incumbent in 2026. County Clerk Gaye Hasty previously announced that she did not intend to run for reelection.
Mitchell’s announcement came more as a letter to the citizens he has served for parts of four decades in various roles. It runs here in it’s entirety…