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Manchester’s Vice Mayor Mark Messick has announced his intent to run for Coffee County Mayor in 2026. Messick will not seek reelection as a city alderman once his term ends next year.

His announcement reads as follows:

“Hello, my name is Mark Messick and today I am formally tossing my hat in the ring to be your next county Mayor. Many of you know me, I have been a Realtor in Manchester for the past 26 years. Before that I raised beef cattle, and I operated a dairy. I have also worked for the Rutherford Farmers Co-op and the Montgomery Farmers Co-op for a total of 15 years. My roots run deep in farming. I was raised on a farm in Beech Grove and my grandparents on both sides of my family farmed all of their lives there in Beech Grove.

“Almost eight years ago, I ran for Alderman in Manchester and was elected. I have served on most of the committees in city government including Finance for the last six years, Public Works for six years, Water Board for three years, Planning and Zoning for six years, Tourism, Recreation Committee, Historic Zoning and I have served as Vice Mayor for nearly six years. I have remained committed during that time to serving the citizens of Manchester in a fair and honest manner, doing my best for all of the citizens of Manchester, not just a chosen few.

“If elected, my administration will continue that same degree of service to the citizens of the entire county. It is my pledge to you to work hard, be fair, and to always be available to listen. There are other issues that I would like to address at this time that I will be working hard to change from day one. The first one is the current zoning restrictions placed on your land by the current administration. It is my promise to you to do what I can to correct what I think was a big mistake. I believe that as a land owner, you have the right to do with your land as you please, as long as it is reasonable. I want to lift the restrictions that stop you from being able to sell your land in anything less than five acre lots. I would like to see the old restrictions put back in place.

“Our taxes are high enough, and most don’t complain about them, but I do think that the citizens should expect the government to help them when needed. That’s what we are here for. I think that those who need city water should have city water, and I think that if you have to pay for a fire hydrant there should be enough water pressure to use it. I will begin to plan for the growth in our county and develop a long-term plan to fix and expand our water lines to better serve our citizens.

“I agree with the mayor that the old Riverside school should be saved as long as we can get the grants to do it. I would hold the counties expenditure there to a minimum. I’m not so sure that I would turn it into a daycare, rather I would like to see it become a Black History Museum for Coffee County and surrounding areas to showcase the important role played in our county by the black community.

“I will work closely with the State of Tennessee to help develop the I-24 industrial park in a manner that brings the greatest benefits to all of Coffee County residents. I believe that the surest way to keep taxes as low as possible is to insure steady, responsible growth in our county. I don’t want to see it go wild like our neighbors in Murfreesboro, but I do believe we can grow in a healthy manner that will be a benefit to all.

“We receive hotel and motel taxes that according to the state of Tennessee must be used solely for the purpose of growing tourism in our county. I don’t believe it is the proper use of those funds to pay an organization’s legal bills.

“Work will begin soon after taking office on the county budget and I will work closely with Manchester and Tullahoma to see if there is a way to cut some expenses for all of us. I think we can harvest economies of scale to help with purchasing, and maybe we can discuss ways to consolidate some government functions.

“I am asking for your vote and support in the August election. I will be running as an Independent, therefore I will not be running in the primaries, so you can vote for whoever you like in April and then hopefully vote for me in the August election. I will be glad to talk to anyone about anything you have a question about.”