🏛️ Courthouse Corner: Early Voting Starts Wednesday, City Hall Meets Thursday, and Who to Call at the Courthouse

Or: A Plain-English Week for Sequatchie Voters, Dunlap Meetings, and the Assessor and Trustee

Some weeks at the courthouse are about bids and budgets. This one is about calendars and phone numbers. Early voting for the Nov. 3 election opens in five days. Dunlap’s city board meets the day after that. And if you’ve ever wondered whether to call the Assessor or the Trustee about a property question, you’re not alone — a lot of Valley folks mix those two up the way Cousin Billy mixes salt and sugar in the biscuit bowl.

Here’s what’s in this fourth Courthouse Corner in Plain English: early voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, with a sample ballot and three statewide amendments to review beforehand, Dunlap’s Board of Mayor and Commissioners meets Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m., a plain-English guide to the Sequatchie County Assessor of Property and the County Trustee and a short update on the open circuit-judge seat that serves Sequatchie and five neighboring counties. We finish with dates for the fridge.

We label each item Local (Sequatchie County or Dunlap), Neighbors (nearby counties) or Statewide (Tennessee programs that apply here, too). Facts come from public notices, government websites and local newspapers, linked in each section. This is not an endorsement of any candidate or amendment.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Early voting: Wed., Oct. 14 through Thu., Oct. 29. No excuse needed. Confirm Sequatchie hours and sites with the Election Commission at (423) 949-2431 or GoVoteTN.gov.
• City Hall: Dunlap’s board meets Thu., Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. at 15595 Rankin Ave. Agenda should be posted by Tuesday.
• Assessor vs. Trustee: Assessor answers “what is my property worth for taxes?” Trustee answers “how do I pay the bill?”
• Photo ID: Bring a federal or Tennessee state photo ID (current or expired) when you vote in person.
• Still open: School bus garage roof bids remain due Mon., Oct. 26, at 10 a.m. CT.

🗳️ Statewide and Local: Early Voting Starts Wednesday — Make a Plan This Weekend

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett reminded registered voters this week that early voting for the Nov. 3 state and federal general election begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, and runs through Thursday, Oct. 29. Any registered voter may vote early without giving a reason.

For Sequatchie County, the Election Commission is your local home base:

• Administrator: Jerrie Holland
• Address: 68 Spring Street, Dunlap
• Phone: (423) 949-2431 · Email: seqelection@bledsoe.net
• Listed office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Call before you go for early-voting locations and hours — counties set those locally, and they can change. Online, use GoVoteTN.gov or the free GoVoteTN app to check your registration, look up your sample ballot and find Election Day polling places.

A few more fridge facts from state election calendars and voter guides:

• Photo ID: In-person voters need a current or expired photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government. College student IDs, local-government IDs and IDs from other states are not accepted. Free photo ID help is explained on GoVoteTN.
• Absentee by mail: Tennessee requires an excuse. Written requests must reach your county election commission by Saturday, Oct. 24.
• Three constitutional amendments: They appear as separate yes-or-no questions. The Secretary of State’s site posts summaries prepared by the Attorney General. Read them before you vote — we won’t rehash the politics here.
• Sample ballot notice: A Sequatchie County general-election ballot notice published Oct. 8 points voters to the Nov. 3 ballot, including state and federal races and those three amendments.

What it means for you: Early voting is like picking up your groceries on Tuesday instead of fighting the Saturday rush. Five quiet minutes with GoVoteTN this weekend — find your sample ballot, confirm your ID is in the wallet, and write the Election Commission number on the fridge — beats a scramble on Nov. 3. If you’re not sure where Sequatchie is holding early voting this year, the two-minute call to (423) 949-2431 is the surest answer.

👉 Read more (WBBJ: Early voting starts Oct. 14) · GoVoteTN · Sequatchie Election Commission directory · Amendment summaries (SOS)

🏛️ Local: Dunlap City Hall Meets Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m.

A public meeting notice published Oct. 8 confirms what many of us had been calling City Hall to check: the City of Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners will hold a regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5:00 p.m. in the Commission Room at the George L. Wagner Municipal Building, 15595 Rankin Avenue.

• The agenda is to be posted at City Hall and on dunlaptn.gov no later than the Tuesday before the meeting (that would be Oct. 13).
• Public comments on agenda items are accepted at the start of the meeting.
• To speak on something that is not already on the agenda, the notice says to submit a request to be placed on the agenda — forms are available at City Hall during business hours. City Hall’s main line is (423) 949-2115.

The city’s government page also notes that the board normally meets on the third Thursday of the month, which matches Oct. 15 this year.

What it means for you: City meetings are open, and you don’t need a speech or a suit. Think of public comment like raising your hand at a co-op meeting — short, clear and about the item on the table. If you care about a sidewalk, a permit or a utility question, peek at the agenda Tuesday or Wednesday, then show up Thursday at 5. Even sitting quietly in the back helps you know what’s coming before the rumor mill gets hold of it.

👉 Read more (Public notice: Oct. 15 Dunlap meeting) · City of Dunlap: Government

📋 Local: Assessor or Trustee? Who Handles What at the Courthouse

Property questions send a lot of folks to the wrong window. Here’s the plain-English split for Sequatchie County:

Assessor of Property — answers questions about the value and classification of your property for tax purposes (appraisals, greenbelt, maps, appeals).

• Address: 22 Cherry St. E., Dunlap
• Phone: (423) 949-3534
• Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Closed on federal holidays and when the courthouse is closed.
• The assessor’s site also has a 2026 taxes estimator, greenbelt forms, GIS mapping links and appeal information.

County Trustee (property tax payments) — collects and accounts for county property taxes and other county funds. Trustee Larry S. Lockhart’s office is the place for payment questions, receipts and paying the bill.

• Address: 22 Cherry Street, Dunlap
• Phone: (423) 949-2526
• Listed hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Friday mornings are shorter — call to confirm Friday closing time before you drive in.
• Pay online: Sequatchie County participates in the statewide Tennessee Trustee portal at secure.tennesseetrustee.org (search by name or address). If the online amount looks off, call the Trustee — late payments add interest and penalties.

As a reminder from earlier this series: Tennessee property tax bills can generally be paid without interest through Feb. 28 for the tax year, but always confirm your own bill with the Trustee.

What it means for you: The Assessor is the tape measure. The Trustee is the cash register. If your question is “why did my value change?” start with the Assessor. If it’s “where’s my receipt?” or “can I pay online?” start with the Trustee. Both offices sit on Cherry Street, so a wrong turn costs about thirty seconds — but the right phone number saves a wasted trip from the mountain.

👉 Read more (Assessor: Office hours) · County directory: Trustee · Pay Sequatchie taxes online

⚖️ Neighbors: Circuit Judge Vacancy Covers Sequatchie — Process Was Reset

Sequatchie County sits in Tennessee’s 12th Judicial District with Bledsoe, Franklin, Grundy, Marion and Rhea counties. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported Oct. 4 that the state’s Trial Court Vacancy Commission issued a new notice seeking applicants for the open circuit judge seat after the Aug. 3 death of Judge John Harvey “Cam” Cameron Jr.

• The reset application deadline was 4 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
• Four people had been lined up for interviews under the earlier notice; officials said a new public hearing and interview date will be announced after nominees are posted.
• The public hearing is expected at the Franklin County Judicial Center in Winchester. Residents may speak in person or in writing.
• The commission recommends three nominees to the governor, who fills midterm vacancies by appointment, with an election to follow later under state law.

We’re not ranking candidates here. The civic takeaway is that this bench hears cases for our whole six-county district, so Valley residents who want to follow the process can watch the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Trial Court Vacancy Commission pages for the next hearing date.

What it means for you: Circuit court is one of the main trial courts for bigger civil and criminal dockets. When a seat opens midterm, the process looks a little like hiring a new coach mid-season — applications, a public hearing, then three names for the governor. If you want to listen or send a comment when the new date is set, Winchester is the meeting place named in the coverage.

👉 Read more (Times Free Press: 12th District vacancy) · Trial Court Vacancy Commission

🛣️ Neighbors: Marion County Moves Ahead on First Street Near the Justice Center

The Marion County Tribune reported Oct. 6 that Marion County’s Board of Mayor & Commissioners approved paving a portion of First Street beside the Marion County Justice Center in Jasper. Full details sit behind the paper’s subscriber wall; the headline and opening lines confirm the thumbs-up for that paving work.

What it means for you: Plenty of Valley drivers pass through Jasper for court, errands or work. Road work next to the Justice Center can mean short detours or slower mornings, so if that’s your route, keep an eye on Marion County updates and the Tribune. Local papers still carry a lot of the board-by-board detail that doesn’t make statewide TV.

👉 Read more (Marion County Tribune: First Street paving)

🗓️ Dates to Put on the Fridge

• Wed., Oct. 14 – Thu., Oct. 29: Early voting statewide. Confirm Sequatchie sites/hours: (423) 949-2431 or GoVoteTN.gov.
• Thu., Oct. 15, 5 p.m.: Dunlap Board of Mayor and Commissioners, 15595 Rankin Ave. Agenda due by Tue., Oct. 13.
• Sat., Oct. 24: Deadline for absentee ballot requests to reach your county election commission (excuse required).
• Mon., Oct. 26, 10 a.m. CT: Sequatchie County Board of Education bus garage roof bids due (reminder — bidding still open).
• Tue., Nov. 3: Election Day. Polls open statewide; bring a federal or Tennessee state photo ID.
• Watch for: New public hearing date for the 12th Judicial District circuit-judge vacancy (Winchester).

✅ Your Courthouse Corner Checklist

• ✅ Open GoVoteTN.gov and pull your sample ballot this weekend.
• ✅ Call (423) 949-2431 for Sequatchie early-voting hours and locations before Oct. 14.
• ✅ Put your photo ID with your keys the night before you vote.
• ✅ Skim the Dunlap agenda after Tuesday if you might speak Oct. 15.
• ✅ Save Assessor (423) 949-3534 and Trustee (423) 949-2526 — value questions vs. payment questions.
• ✅ Know a roofer? Bus garage roof bids are still due Oct. 26.

Practical rule: Write the date, the address and the phone number on the fridge before you need them. A planned trip to early voting or City Hall beats a rushed one every time.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Courthouse Glossary

• Early voting: Casting your ballot in person during a set window before Election Day, no excuse required in Tennessee.
• Sample ballot: A preview of the races and questions that will appear on your ballot for your address.
• Constitutional amendment: A proposed change to the state constitution that voters approve or reject with a yes or no vote.
• Assessor of Property: The county office that values property for tax purposes and handles related maps, greenbelt and appeals.
• County Trustee: The county office that collects property taxes and issues payment receipts.
• Circuit judge: A state trial-court judge whose docket can include major civil and criminal cases for a multi-county district.
• Trial Court Vacancy Commission: The state body that solicits applicants and recommends nominees when a trial-court seat opens midterm.
• Public comment: The part of a meeting when residents may speak briefly about items on the agenda.
• Sealed bid: A price submitted in a closed envelope by a deadline so no one can match another bidder’s number beforehand.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

When does early voting start in Sequatchie County?

Statewide early voting runs Wednesday, Oct. 14, through Thursday, Oct. 29. Sequatchie follows that window. Confirm the exact sites and hours with the Sequatchie County Election Commission at (423) 949-2431 or on GoVoteTN.gov — counties set locations locally.

Do I need a reason to vote early?

No. Any registered Tennessee voter may vote early without an excuse. Absentee voting by mail is different and does require an excuse under state law.

What photo ID do I need?

Bring a current or expired photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government. College student IDs and IDs from other states or local governments are not accepted. GoVoteTN explains exemptions and how to get a free photo ID.

When is the next Dunlap city board meeting?

Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. in the Commission Room at 15595 Rankin Avenue. The agenda should be posted by Tuesday, Oct. 13, at City Hall and on dunlaptn.gov.

Who do I call about my property value vs. my tax bill?

Call the Assessor of Property at (423) 949-3534 for valuation, greenbelt, maps and appeals. Call the Trustee at (423) 949-2526 to pay or ask about the bill. Online payments go through the Tennessee Trustee portal for Sequatchie County.

Are bus garage roof bids still open?

Yes. The Sequatchie County Board of Education notice still lists sealed bids due by 10 a.m. CT on Monday, Oct. 26, with a required site visit beforehand. See the public notice for full rules.

🔗 Other Resources

• GoVoteTN.gov — registration check, sample ballots, polling places, amendment summaries
• Sequatchie County Election Commission — official SOS directory listing
• City of Dunlap Government — licenses, permits and board information
• Sequatchie County Assessor of Property
• Pay Sequatchie County property taxes online
• Tennessee elections calendar
• Trial Court Vacancy Commission
• Dunlap.Directory — free local business listings

🌿 Keep Learning, Stay Calm

Government works better when ordinary folks know the dates and the phone numbers. You don’t have to attend every meeting or memorize every statute. Pull your sample ballot, confirm early-voting hours, and keep the Assessor and Trustee numbers where you can find them. For more calm, practical Sequatchie Valley reporting, keep reading Dunlap.Today.