Murfreesboro City Mayor

Shane McFarland

Shane McFarland

Republican

Winner

Tell us about your campaign.

I am committed to strengthening Murfreesboro’s quality of life through safe neighborhoods, infrastructure improvements, economic growth, and responsible financial leadership. My administration has helped maintain a strong bond rating, supported a thriving business community, and kept Murfreesboro moving in the right direction. I have been leading the fight to stop the expansion of the landfill and have been quite clear that we will not allow our community to be the dumping ground for more than 40 counties, and we will not allow Middle Point Landfill to expand. Murfreesboro will control its own destiny, and I have already begun working on responsible, long-term solutions for the day this landfill closes.

In your own words, describe the responsibilities of the office you are seeking.

I believe my responsibilities as Murfreesboro’s Mayor is to continue to make Murfreesboro a great place, not only to work and raise a family, but also to retire. I am committed to doing everything in my power to reward and keep the best people working for our city. There are several outstanding projects I am committed to that will increase the quality of life for all our residents. Murfreesboro is known as a safe community committed to public safety, education, parks and recreation, low taxes and continued infrastructure development.

What are your priorities for this office?

People want to live in a safe community and as Mayor, I have been able to lead Murfreesboro to where our community is now regarded as one of the safest cities in the state of Tennessee. We are committed to public safety, and it shows through the investments we have made. We have great police and firefighters in our city that work proactively to make sure our residents are protected and safe. In 2019, I led the effort to approve a new Fire Station for the Blackman area leading to response times of less than four minutes 90% of the time across the entire city and there is now an advanced Emergency Medical Technician or paramedic on every fire truck to improve safety for all citizens. The growth Murfreesboro has experienced continues to trend upward because of several different factors. With that growth, our traffic has increased. I am committed to upgrading our state and local roads to improve traffic. As Mayor, I have worked with our city council, our city department staff, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to add close to a billion dollars during the last 10 years to improve our infrastructure and reduce the traffic problems. Also, while I am proud of that fact property values have increased almost 100% over the last 8 years, this has brought challenges. The City of Murfreesboro is continuing to work to improve our Affordable Housing plan as well as increased senior living opportunities.

Describe your qualifications for this office.

There is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for the opportunity to be Murfreesboro’s Mayor. As a small business owner myself, I have applied successful business principles to increase efficiency inside city departments and guide the city’s budget. My real-world business experience benefits the city as I work with local officials and the chamber of commerce to attract corporate relocations and revenue producing projects that bring more jobs and additional tourism dollars. Every month, I hold Facebook Live meetings where I takes questions and talks about the issues facing Murfreesboro. I believe I should meet people where they are and that is why I respond through email, calls, texts, and Facebook, X, and Instagram direct messages. Whether as a middle school baseball coach or just always being present in our neighborhoods, I believe in listening to families concerns and opinions, keeping everyone informed about what the city is doing, and work to make a real difference for Murfreesboro families.