Leadership for a Better Fairview.
About Rick
Rick Shepherd has spent his life in service — to his country, his community, and now, to Fairview.
Rick served 36 years in the U.S. Army and Tennessee Army National Guard: 10 years as a traditional National Guard Soldier and 26 years of active federal service. He retired as a Command Sergeant Major after deployments overseas in support of the War on Terror, training missions in Europe, and assignments in the Far East. Closer to home, he's deployed in support of natural disaster response in East Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, the Virgin Islands, and Arizona border security operations.
For more than 15 years, Rick has handled congressional funding with no discrepancies and no allegations — a track record of accountability he'll bring to Fairview's budget.
Rick's career of service extends beyond the military. He's worked as a deputy sheriff in McMinn County, Tennessee, and as a welder. A graduate of McMinn County High School (1985), Rick grew up in Athens, Tennessee, and has completed 149 credit hours of college coursework.
Rick is married to Sherry Anderson. Together they have four children — Maria, Luke, and Leah, who reside in East Tennessee, and Megan, who lives in Franklin.
Rick's message is simple: stop unnecessary spending, pay down debt, and bring professionalism to Fairview.
Rick’s Priorities
Grow Our Industry
and Tourism
More business. More tourism. More sales tax dollars doing the work — so property taxes don't have to. That's how Fairview grows without losing what makes it home.
Control Spending,
Reduce Debt
Fairview's budget should work for its people — not the other way around. Rick will stop unnecessary spending and pay down debt so future growth doesn't come with a bigger bill.
Property Tax
Fairview has continued to spend money unnecessarily and then ask for more taxpayer dollars when budgets aren't balanced. Rick will fight the property tax increase and bring fiscal sanity back to Fairview.
Why I’m Running
Over the past 17 years, I have managed budgets ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to multimillion-dollar operations for our nation's military. From those experiences, I learned that a good leader should continually monitor spending, anticipate changing needs, and make adjustments when circumstances do not go according to plan.
When unexpected situations and emergencies arose in budgets or in the field, I learned how to evaluate the options, determine what was essential, and make decisions that provided the best outcome without losing sight of the long-term financial picture.
I promise to bring that same discipline to Fairview. I believe city leaders should plan ahead, prepare for emergencies, and live within the city's means.
Before asking Fairview families to pay more, I believe city government should first make sure it is making the best possible use of every dollar it already receives.
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