Johnson City Commission candidate: Aaron Murphy

Aaron Murphy is one of 10 candidates eyeing a seat on the Johnson City Commission in the upcoming citywide election. The Johnson City Press interviewed each candidate running for city commission. In his interview with the Press, Murphy explained his priorities and approach to key issues currently facing the city. Murphy served as a city commissioner from 2020 through 2024 and was appointed vice mayor for the latter half of his term. He's the chief executive officer of Good Samaritan Ministries and is the senior pastor at Thankful Baptist Church. He said his previous experience serving on the city commission and working across several community sectors qualifies him for the job. As a husband, father, pastor, nonprofit leader and business owner, Murphy says he's served the community through what he calls its "four corners": Faith, nonprofit service, business and government. "I've learned that leadership begins with listening, compassion, integrity and service," Murphy said. "I've had firsthand experience in municipal government, budgeting, policy, infrastructure, public safety and constituent services." Murphy holds a bachelor's degree in engineering technology from East Tennessee State University, as well as a master of divinity from Milligan University. When asked why he is running for a seat on the commission, Murphy pointed to his faith, saying he feels "called by God to serve." The local pastor also denied losing his 2024 reelection bid due to what he called "voting discrepancies." "Why am I running? Because I do feel called by God to serve during challenging times like this. We need a unifying voice. We need someone with strong leadership experience in the four corners of our community," he said. "I've prayed about it for quite some time, and I think now is the time to serve." During the interview, Murphy read part or all of his answers to several questions from his laptop. The Press did not provide questions to any of the candidates before their interviews. Affordability and property taxes Affordability is one of the top issues voters across the country — and locally — are prioritizing this election. Johnson City passed a 28-cent property tax rate increase in June. Around eight cents of the increase is dedicated to debt service for a new aquatics center. Murphy said he would have handled this decision differently. "I wouldn't have put it on taxpayers' backs. I would have called investors, philanthropists — which, we live in a very giving area — to see who would help offset some of these costs. I would see if any grant availabilities could go towards a facility of this magnitude," he said. Murphy added that he didn't feel that now is the right time to make the cost of living go up for community members. "I support investing in amenities that improve the quality of life, serve our children and families," he said. "But good projects still require good planning." Police use of Flock technology When asked about his stance on the Johnson City Police Department's use of Flock cameras, Murphy was clear that he opposed police using the technology."Flock cameras are a major concern for many in our community. I support our police department, our officers and providing them with the resources to keep Johnson City safe," he said. "But we should never compromise between safety and privacy. I oppose the city's current Flock camera program.""Public safety should not require sacrificing privacy, accountability or responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars." Data centers The city's planning department is currently working on a set of revisions to the city zoning code and noise ordinance to prevent potentially harmful impacts of data center developments. "I support economic development, but it must be responsible, and we should never compromise our well-being or quality of life, especially the quality of life of our residents," Murphy said. "I am not in support of data centers within our city limits.""This is something I believe that citizens at large don't support. And I'm here to represent them," he said. What does transparency and open government look like to you? "Transparency and open government looks like answering questions that are asked by constituents, by residents," Murphy said. "I would say city commissioners and staff need to be positioned to each respond to their constituents." Murphy said he believes ample notice should be given for public meetings so more people can attend. "There needs to be availability so folks who haven't been heard can be heard, " he said. Early voting begins Oct. 14 and runs through Oct. 29. Election Day is Nov. 3. Voters can find their voting precinct on their voter registration card, or by contacting their local elections office or visiting GoVoteTn.org.