Mayor John Carroll

Mayor Carroll and Office Staff 

As the mayor for Perry County, Tennessee, John Carroll provides leadership and direction to the county in most policy areas to steer the county in the direction most beneficial to the county’s future. The County Mayor represents the county in official business and is often involved in matters vital to the county’s community and economic development. His track record, over the three terms he has been elected, has been one of keeping the concerns of the County residents at heart, to address the best interests to help Perry County continue to grow.

Mayor Carroll has also served Perry County as a County Commissioner.  He dedicates his time to supporting job growth, improving infrastructure, and expanding education and training opportunities for all Perry County residents.  John also leads the Perry County Industrial Board by constantly recruiting and providing information  to potential industries.  In addition to serving full time as County Mayor, he also spends time after hours providing legal services to the community.  

In addition to his law degree, John holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, leads bible classes and helps with youth activities at the Linden Church of Christ, and lives in Sugar Hill community with his wife Ashley and son Wyatt.

Mayor Carroll serves as the Chairman of the County Commission, and he is also charged with the care and custody of specific county property.  John has brought thousands of dollars of grants to the County to improve infrastructure.  Infrastructure investment provides a strong economic stimulus with a multiplier effect that can help to rebalance growth around the country. An investment of an additional 1% of GDP increases output by 0.4% in the year that investment is made and a further 1.5% in the four years following the investment.

As the County Mayor is the chief financial officer of the county, Mayor Carroll signs or cosigns county warrants for general fund expenditures. The County Mayor has the authority to examine the accounts of the county officers to verify each item of expenditure or revenue. The Office of the County Mayor audits all claims for money against the county and serves as the chief accounting officer for the county and maintains the general fund accounts. Mayor Carroll plays a strong role in the budgetary process and presents the consolidated budget for each fiscal year to the county budget committee or county legislative body.

As accounting officer and general agent of the county, the County Mayor has the responsibility to:

1. Have care and custody of all county property, except that in the custody of other officials.
2. Appoint and to fix compensation of an agent or attorney to take care of county property.
3. Control all books, papers and instruments of the office.
4. Audit all claims for money against the county.
5. Draw, without seal, all warrants on the county treasury.
6. Audit and settle accounts of the county trustee, and those of any other collector or receiver of county revenue, taxes or incomes, payable into the county treasury, and those of any persons entrusted to receive or expend any money of the county.
7. Require the above officers or persons to render and to settle their accounts as directed by law, or by the authority under which they act.
8. Enter in the warrant book, in order of issuance, the number, date, amount and name of the drawee of each warrant drawn upon the treasury.
9. Keep in a suitable book an account of the receipts and expenditures of the county, so as to show clearly the assets of the county, and the debts payable to and by it, balancing the account semiannually, and generally to superintend the financial concerns of the county.
10. Write a semiannual report to the county legislative body reflecting all money received and paid out, and a complete statement of the financial condition of the county; to settle the other accounts once every year.

As financial officer of the county, the County Mayor has the following duties:

• To draw a warrant on the county trustee for payment of any judgment recovered against, or debt due from, the county.
• To reduce to writing the testimony of any witness examined by the mayor concerning any settlement and file the same.
• To examine minutely and settle the accounts of county officers, referring to the records, documents, dockets and papers in the office to verify each item.
• To report the settlement to the county legislative body, under an oath stating “that the county mayor believes that the same contains a true schedule of the revenue collected by each officer, and which the county mayor is bound by law to pay to the county trustee.”
• To make duplicates of the settlements with the clerks of the circuit, chancery and appellate courts, to deliver one duplicate to the county clerk, and to file the others in each clerk’s office.