First Ward Councilperson Jason Epley was elected as the new vice mayor for the City of Dickson at the Oct. 2, 2023, council meeting.
Epley succeeds Robby Harmon, who decided not to seek re-election after two terms on the council and six years as vice mayor.
According to the requirements of the City Charter, in the first meeting of the council following the certification of the results of the Sept. 14 municipal election by the Dickson County Election Commission, Mayor Don L. Weiss Jr. nominated Epley for the position of vice mayor. The nomination was approved by the council 4-0-1 with Epley abstaining and councilpersons Kyle Sanders (2nd Ward), Stacey Levine (3rd Ward) and Dwight Haynes (4th Ward) absent.
The Dickson County president and chief lending officer for TriStar Bank, Epley was first elected to the City Council in a four-way race in 2017 for the seat left open when Mike Legg retired from the council after more than 27 years. He was re-elected without opposition in 2021 and his current term expires in 2025.
A Dickson County High School graduate, Epley received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Belmont University and completed the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking in 2010. Prior to joining TriStar, Epley worked for the international accounting firm Deloitte.
In 2019, Epley was included in the Independent Community Bankers of America’s Emerging Community Bank Leaders, 40 under 40 young innovators. In addition to serving on the City Council, he is a member of the Dickson County Sanitation Board and the High Noon Rotary.
Epley and wife Anna have two children, Issac and Lillian.
“Thank you, Mr. Epley. I appreciate you accepting that role. I look forward to working with you,” Mayor Weiss said following the ratification vote.
In other City Council appointment nominations presented by Mayor Weiss and unanimously approved by the council:
• Dwight Haynes (4th Ward) was reappointed to the Board of Public Utilities;
• Shane Chandler (2nd Ward) was appointed to the Dickson County Municipal Airport Authority;
• Mayor Weiss and Horace Perkins III (3rd Ward) were appointed to the Greater Dickson Gas Authority board of directors;
• Mayor Weiss and Michael Outlaw (4th Ward) were reappointed to the Water Authority of Dickson County board of directors;
• Brett Reynolds (1st Ward) and Stacey Levine (3rd Ward) were appointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board;
• Stacey Levine (3rd Ward) was appointed to the Naming Committee and named chairman;
• Kyle Sanders (2nd Ward) was appointed to the Sick Leave Bank trustees and named chairman;
• Michael Outlaw (4th Ward), Dwight Haynes (4th Ward) and Horace Perkins III (3rd Ward) were reappointed to the Cemetery Committee with Outlaw named chairman;
• Kyle Sanders (2nd Ward) and Jason Epley (1st Ward) were reappointed to the Municipal Planning Commission; and
• Horace Perkins III (3rd Ward) was reappointed to the Old Timers Day Committee.
Epley is the fifth vice mayor to serve during Weiss’s 30 years as mayor, following Bill Gilmore (1993-2001), Richard Arnold (2001-07), Mike Legg (2007-17) and Harmon (2017-23).
According to the City Charter, the vice mayor is a member of the council nominated by the mayor and elected by the council to a two-year term.
“The Vice Mayor shall perform the duties of the Mayor during his absence or inability to act, and shall fill out any unexpired term in the office of Mayor, in which case a Member of the Council shall be selected by majority vote of the Council to serve the unexpired term as Vice Mayor,” according to the charter.
While serving as a council member from the First Ward, Weiss was appointed vice mayor and ascended to the mayor’s office in December 1993 when Mayor Tom Waychoff resigned to become president of the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce. Since then he has been elected to eight four-year terms.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter!
