Sparta’s Jeff Young Reflects On 12 years As Mayor

Sparta Mayor Jeff Young will end his 12 year administration on September 1st.

Jerry Lowery will be sworn in as the new mayor on that day after receiving 59.3 percent of the vote in last week’s election. Young said he was surprised by the results, but it is time to start a new journey.

“It’s been very enjoyable,” Young said. “There’s been times when I first got elected where we didn’t have any money to do anything and all we could do was maintain and make payroll. Through the years, we ended up over doubling the amount of money the city has in reserve. While we did that, we only raised taxes one time, so that’s a big thing we have been proud of.”

Young said the difference between himself in Lowery in the election seemed to be the length of his mayorship. Young said despite how well someone leads, the people want someone new.

“From most folks that I talk to it just seems like if you are in there very long, it doesn’t matter how well of a job you are doing,” Young said. “The people are ready for somebody new, and that may or may not have been the case in this situation.”

Young said he wishes great success for Lowery and the new administration. Young said the expansion of the park system, paving and the Gateway Monuments are just a few things that he was proud to be a part of.

“I feel like and most of the members of the board feel like and even our city recorder who has been their 27 years that we feel like over the course of the last few years that the city is in the best shape that it has ever been in,” Young said.