Right now there are two mayors in one Loudon County town. The new mayor is ready to take office, but the old mayor is not quite ready to bow out. Of the approximately 1100 people in Greenback, Tennessee, about half of them are registered to vote. And this November, they voted 44-year incumbent Mayor Tom Peeler out of office.

Now, his successor Dewayne Birchfield says the former mayor isn't handing over the reigns. "I've been sworn in," Birchfield said. "I'm officially the mayor. But the mayor here doesn't want to turn it loose I guess." He won the election with about 62 percent of the vote. "It says the people were wanting a change," Birchfield explained.

Once the election totals were certified on November 20, Birchfield went to the Loudon County Mayor to be sworn in as mayor of Greenback. But Peeler was still sitting in his seat. "I guess after being mayor 43 years it's a little hard to swallow, but he did say that was the best day of his life." The day he lost the election, that is.

Customary in Greenback, the new council would be sworn in at the city council meeting directly following the election. But Peeler canceled that meeting, and the council won't meet again until January. "I came here and asked for it to go smoothly, and the lady informed me that it would not," Birchfield said. He's talking about the city recorder, who is also Peeler's wife. Neither wanted to be interviewed for this story.

"The mayor has never talked to me or reached out to me, so I took it I was on my own," Birchfield explained. Legally, there's no right answer as to what should be going on in Greenback. The town charter says the new mayor is to be sworn in after the election.
 
6-3-105. Oaths of office. The mayor, after the mayor's election, shall take an oath of office to support the constitution of the state and faithfully discharge the duties of the mayor's office, before any officer authorized to administer oaths. This officer or the mayor shall then induct the aldermen into office by administering to them a similar oath of office. Oaths of office shall be filed in the archives of the municipality.[Acts 1991, ch. 154, § 1.] Greenback Charter"

"Once I'm sworn in, I'm the mayor," Birchfield said. Loudon County Commissioner Van Shaver points out that "after the election" could mean he takes office next week, or next year. It's not specific. But a town can't have two mayors. Can it?

"I'm not trying to take anything away from Tom and [his wife] Norma," Birchfield explained. "He's done a pretty good job. But people wanted a change." Birchfield says he's scheduled to have all city accounts transferred to his name on December 27. He and those who voted for him wish it was sooner, but he's hoping to make the transition as smooth as possible.