Four candidates running for Kingsport mayor

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Two newcomers and two current aldermen are asking their neighbors to choose them as the next mayor of Kingsport.

The seat is open after two-term Mayor Pat Shull announced that he would not seek re-election.

News Channel 11 interviewed three of the four candidates and found out their priorities for the city. The fourth, Colette George, declined to interview ahead of her formal campaign launch later this month.

Whoever wins the Aug. 1 election, will take office in September.

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Sara Buchanan

Sara Buchanan worked as a diplomat for the United States Foreign Services for 15 years, serving in Afghanistan and Kosovo among others. She returned to Kingsport and ran for alderman, unsuccessfully, in 2021.

Currently, Buchanan works for a public health-focused nonprofit.

Aside from her experience in government, managing multi-million dollar budgets, Buchanan said her lack of economic interests in the city will make her an unbiased leader.

“I will not gain by being mayor,” Buchanan said. “I do not own any businesses. I am not a landlord. I am not a real estate agent. I have nothing to gain from this.”

Buchanan’s two primary focuses as mayor would be transparency and managing the city’s growth.

“Our infrastructure is really being stretched right now,” Buchanan said describing the challenges the city faces. “Our water systems are falling apart as soon as it gets cold outside. Our roads are a mess despite the paving initiatives that we have. Our health care system is really strained right now, and it’s only getting worse. And I feel like if Kingsport wants to grow, it must be in a calculated and strategic way.”

Buchanan said she hopes to televise board meetings, making them accessible to citizens who don’t have internet access.

“As mayor, I would advocate for having quarterly town hall meetings with me where anybody could come and ask any questions and get an immediate response,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan said homelessness in the city would require an “immediate” and “multifaceted approach,” tailored to address the root cause of each person’s homelessness.

“We need to have short-term and long-term solutions,” Buchanan said. “We need affordable housing. We need more multifamily units. We need re-zoned areas of the city where we can put more low-cost housing.”

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Paul Montgomery

Current Alderman Paul Montgomery was elected to the board in 2021 and worked at Eastman Chemical Company for much of his career.

When asked why he is seeking the office of mayor, Montgomery said he sees it as a natural next step.

“I’ve lived here twice, I actually made it intentionally come back to this city to raise my family,” Montgomery told News Channel 11. “I’ve gone to church here. I’ve earned a good living here. And I believe I owe the city a lot. So I want to be part of the conversation as we lead and serve.”

Like Buchanan, Montgomery said he sees growth as a top issue facing the city, something he thinks the city is on the right track.

“We’ve got a lot of infrastructure plans we need to get those completed, and then we’re also looking in trying to get more affordable housing here in Kingsport,” Montgomery said.

He said the city is already working with several builders hoping to create affordable housing in the city.

“As we work with our development people, I think we as a board can provide incentives or whatever we can do to make it enticing enough for them to come and help us solve this issue,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery said the city already has the pieces in place to address homelessness, though it’s a tough issue to tackle.

“I think we’ve got the right people at the right table,” Montgomery told News Channel 11. “I don’t know if there is a solution to the problem that’s easily attained. I think it’s something that’s due to a lot collaboration. And that’s one of the things I think that I do bring to the table is the need to collaborate with many different voices and actually needs to be heard.”

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Tim Sanders

Tim Sanders is a lifelong resident of Northeast Tennessee and a tax analyst at H&R Block.

Sanders told News Channel 11 he sees Ballad Health’s monopoly as the biggest issue facing the city.

“You could drive to Asheville, you could drive to Morristown, or you could even drive over to Pikeville in less time than you could be seen at a Ballad healthcare monopoly ER,” Sanders said.

When asked how he would address the issue as mayor, Sanders declined to provide details until after he is elected.

“I’ve ran too many campaigns wherever the candidate takes the issues and when they’re anointed, they go ahead and get elected,” Sanders said. “Then, they lay over on their back and say, Rub my belly. I am not that person.”

News Channel 11 asked Sanders how he would handle Kingsport’s growing population. He emphasized the city’s conservative political culture.

“If you’re coming down here out of New York, we want to embrace you,” Sanders said. “If you’re coming over here out of California, we want to welcome you. But don’t think you’re going to come here and Californicate us. You’re going to absorb our beliefs, our viewpoints.”

Sanders did not offer any proposals for addressing homelessness but criticized the city’s 2019 decision to add blocks on benches, preventing people from sleeping on them.

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