Lee Davis
Mayor Lee Davis and Vice Mayor Lizzy Schmidt on Tuesday announced they will seek re-election to their respective roles leading the town of Walden in the upcoming Nov. 5, election.
Their announcement said Mayor Davis and Vice Mayor Schmidt, both elected in 2020, "have overseen a period of significant accomplishments and progress for Walden while preserving the town's cherished small-town atmosphere and natural beauty."
Mayor Davis said, "It has been an honor and my privilege to serve the residents of Walden as mayor these past four years. By working collaboratively with the community, we have enhanced town services, improved roads and pedestrian safety, upgraded town facilities, and secured key grants to support Walden's continued success. I look forward to building on this positive momentum in a second term if the voters give me that opportunity."
Vice Mayor Schmidt said, "I've known and loved Walden my entire life, and it's been deeply rewarding to give back to the community as vice mayor and alderman. From expanding our citizen advisory committees to achieving important environmental recognitions, to increasing pedestrian safety, and improving our infrastructure through key grants, we have made great strides on many fronts. Mayor Davis has been an exceptional leader and partner in these efforts and I hope to continue our work together on behalf of Walden's citizens."
Lee Davis has lived in Walden with his wife Heather, a teacher and coach at Baylor School, since 1996, raising their three children Logan, Parker and Matthew here. He founded the Davis & Hoss law firm after serving as an assistant district attorney for Hamilton County.
Lizzy Schmidt has lifelong ties to Walden and moved back to town with her husband David, now a public defender, in 2007 to raise their three children Ann, Rebecca, and Daniel. Under their leadership, Walden has achieved numerous milestones, including: Administrative: - Creating the Walden Planning Commission and hiring SETD as professional planning staff - Passing an award-winning new Land Use Plan and updating the Zoning Ordinance - Establishing a Town Administrator position - Launching a new town website and increasing outreach on social media and email - Securing grants for historic preservation, road paving, stormwater infrastructure, Pumpkin Patch renovations, and more - Earning designations as a Bee City USA and National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat Stewardship of Town Buildings and Land: - Installing reflectors and striping on E Brow for safety - Purchasing speed monitors and hiring off-duty police for traffic control - Widening 4300 block of Wilson Ave to fix dangerous drop-off - Adding crosswalks near Wayside Christian School and Little Brown Church - Changing Lake and E. Brow to 4-way stop for safety - Creating "Slow Down Walden" campaign - Making Mabbitt Springs Park safer with bridge rebuild, signage, and more - Adding bicycle racks at Mabbitt and Falling Water trailheads Grants: - State of TN Grant for McCoy's barn preservation - ARPA Grant for paving, traffic calming, Pumpkin Patch upgrades, and more - TDEC ARP Stormwater Grant for culvert replacements and MS4 permit - TDOT Planning Grant for Taft Hwy corridor pedestrian safety Collaborative: - Quarterly W-road cleanups - Purchasing soil injectors to eradicate Hemlock Wooly Adelgid - Planting native plants on W-road to mitigate erosion - Working with county to remove Emerald Ash Borer-infested trees - Citizen Advisory Committee and Open Records Law trainings.
Mayor Davis and Vice Mayor Schmidt will be meeting with residents in the coming months to discuss their vision for Walden's future and hear input on how to continue moving the town in a positive direction, it was stated.
Lizzy Schmidt