Three-term Smyrna Town Council Member Tim Morrell wants to bring the success he’s had in Smyrna, working to improve the quality of life for his fellow residents, to the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Today, Morrell announced he is running in the Republican Primary for the District 49 State House of Representatives seat, which encompasses portions of Smyrna, LaVergne, Murfreesboro, and Rutherford County. The seat is currently held by Mike Sparks.
“Our district needs a representative in the State House that can get things done. The current state representative has held the office for 8 years and has zero legislative accomplishments. On the Town Council, I have a record of accomplishments. We’ve made improvements to infrastructure, which has attracted business. We have provided more job opportunities, increased sales tax revenue, and kept property taxes low. Our retail growth is one of the reasons our property taxes are low. Smyrna is now the 14th largest city in Tennessee with the 3rd lowest tax rate,” Morrell said.
Those efforts have earned Smyrna numerous accolades: ranked Top 25 Best Places to Retire by Forbes in 2016, Second Most Affordable City in Tennessee by Livability.com in 2016, Top 10 Places to Retire by U.S. News & World Reports, 12th Safest City in Tennessee by Backgroundcheck.org and 6th Safest City in Tennessee by Movado.com.
The recent widening of Florence road has improved traffic flow and safety and led to industrial and residential growth. Expansion of Sam Ridley Parkway and improvements to the Rocky Fork-Enon Springs interchange are underway, and Morell is actively working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to get approval to improve the Almaville Road interchange.
“Our current state representative, who has served 4 unproductive terms in office, only talks about traffic in our district. He is not doing the work to create a solution to the choke points in our area. I share the frustration of being stuck in traffic on Sam Ridley Parkway, [State Highway] 41, Jefferson Pike, or Almaville Road. It is time for more than lip service to this problem, and I will continue to work with state and local officials to improve the state highways in our district,” he said.
Along with transportation and economic development, education is also a top priority for Morrell. He supports the expansion and growth of Motlow State Community College, which boasts the largest campus for a two-year college in the State and the joint venture between the Tennessee College of Applied Technology and Nissan.
“TCAT’s and Nissan’s joint venture to build a training facility will provide opportunities for our workforce to receive training, in areas like IT technology, robotics and more, for the jobs of the future,” Morrell said.
As a Council Representative on the Rutherford County Economic Development Board, Morrell works with local officials to advance shared economic goals.
“I will continue to collaborate with local government, assess their needs and work together to address those needs, so that we can continue to make Rutherford County the best place to work, live and play,” Morrell said.
Morrell is Vice Chair of the Smyrna Planning Commission and a member of the Lowry Street Revitalization Committee.
With more than 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry, Morrell is an insurance agent for Miller Loughry Beach Insurance in Smyrna.
He serves on the Rotary Club of Smyrna’s Board of Trustees and is a Paul Harris Fellow, a designation given based on philanthropic activity. Morrell is a former Board member of the North Rutherford YMCA and United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.
Morrell has lived in Smyrna for 36 years. He and his, wife, Donna, both graduates of Smyrna High School, have four children and eight grandchildren and attend Life Point Church. He attended Middle Tennessee State University, before graduating from the University of Texas-Arlington.
The Republican Primary will be held on Aug. 2, with early voting from July 13-28.
