09/04/2026
A statement from McMinnville Mayor Ryle Chastain
To the Editor:
Recent reporting and social media commentary regarding the City’s consideration of the possible demolition of a property because of safety concerns has generated understandable interest and discussion within our community.
Public discussion about decisions made by local government is not only appropriate—it is an important part of a healthy community.
However, I believe it is equally important that citizens understand how local government actually works, particularly when a matter involves the enforcement of state law and municipal ordinances.
A city government does not have unlimited authority to simply make decisions based upon personal opinions, preferences, or the wishes of individual elected officials. Cities operate within a legal framework established by the State of Tennessee, applicable state statutes, the city's municipal code, and other applicable laws and regulations.
City boards and commissions are similarly bound by those requirements.
When a matter comes before a municipal board, whether it involves property maintenance, zoning, building safety, public nuisances, or other issues, the board's responsibility is not simply to decide what it personally believes should happen. Its responsibility is to consider the facts before it and apply the law that governs the situation.
That distinction is extremely important.
Providing the public with the applicable law, quoting a statute, or explaining what the municipal code requires is not taking a side. It is providing information.
There is a significant difference between saying, “This is what I personally think should happen,” and saying, “This is what Tennessee law or our municipal code requires the city to consider.”
The latter is not advocacy. It is an explanation of the legal framework within which local government must operate.
As elected officials, we take an oath of office. That oath carries a responsibility that extends beyond our personal opinions or the preferences of any particular group of citizens. We swear to support the Constitution and faithfully perform the duties of our office. In practical terms, that means we are obligated to uphold and follow the law, even when the law leads to a decision that may be difficult, unpopular, or personally uncomfortable.
That does not mean elected officials should blindly accept every recommendation placed before them; quite the opposite. Public officials should ask questions, examine evidence, listen to property owners and citizens, consider alternatives, and make certain that proper procedures are followed.
But once the applicable law and facts are established, those considerations must occur within the boundaries of the law.
Regarding the property currently under discussion, the City has an obligation to take legitimate safety concerns seriously. At the same time, property owners have rights, and government must follow the appropriate legal procedures before taking significant action affecting private property.
Those two principles are not mutually exclusive. Protecting the public while respecting the rights of property owners is precisely why laws and procedures exist.
I also believe our local newspapers and community publications play an important role in informing the public.
Warren County Joy, The Warren County Way, Warren First, and The Main Street Journal provide valuable forums for community discussion. Healthy disagreement is part of living in a community, and reasonable people can certainly reach different conclusions about what government should do.
But as citizens, we should be careful to distinguish between reporting what the law says and advocating for a
particular outcome.
If a mayor, council member, commission member, city attorney, or other municipal official references a Tennessee statute or provision of the municipal code, that reference should not automatically be characterized as taking a position on the underlying dispute. Sometimes the official is simply explaining the rules that govern the decision.
Local government can be complicated. There are statutory requirements, municipal ordinances, procedural safeguards, property rights, public safety considerations, and responsibilities that elected officials cannot simply disregard because a particular outcome may be more popular.
That is one of the less glamorous realities of public service.
We are not elected merely to do what is easy. We are elected to do what is lawful, responsible, and in the best interest of the community. Sometimes we must choose the hard right over the easy wrong.
I recognize that reasonable citizens may disagree about whether a particular property should ultimately be demolished, repaired, preserved, or handled through another available remedy. That discussion should continue, and citizens should absolutely make their voices heard.
But I hope that discussion occurs with an understanding of the responsibilities placed upon those serving in local government.
The role of an elected official is not to choose the law that is most convenient but to uphold the law that applies. Sometimes the most important service a public official can provide is simply to explain to the governmental procedures as they currently operate.
Respectfully,
Ryle Chastain
Mayor City of McMinnville, Tennessee
