Longtime Jasper alderman bids emotional farewell [photos]

Alderman Steve Looney (left) breaks down as he speaks at his final board meeting in Jasper. Mayor Paul Evans is on the right.
Alderman Steve Looney (left) breaks down as he speaks at his final board meeting in Jasper. Mayor Paul Evans is on the right.

JASPER, Tenn. - As his most recent term was set to expire this election cycle, longtime Jasper Alderman Steve Looney decided it was time for someone else to serve the town.

Known as an assertive, outspoken city leader on the Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Looney chose to forgo a re-election bid after 12 years of service, so he could enjoy his retirement.

At his final meeting as a board member, Mayor Paul Evans presented Looney with an engraved watch and award recognizing his years of service to the city.

"I hope that you enjoy your retirement," Evans told him. "It's been a good four years [as mayor with Looney]. I've enjoyed it. That is just a 'thank you' from the town of Jasper."

Looney said he appreciated the acknowledgement.

"I really enjoyed serving on the board," he said. "I never was a politician. I've learned a lot. I've learned a whole lot, as a matter of fact."

During his time on the board, Looney never filtered his opinion, whether it was in glowing praise or complete condemnation.

In the midst of an argument between then-Alderman Evans and former Mayor Billy Simpson in 2011 where Evans suggested he was being treated differently from the other board members, Looney's candid remarks ended the heated exchange abruptly.

"I think it's getting close to an election year, and there's a lot of crap going on," Looney said at the time. "That's just putting it on the line."

Whether it was seeking a fireworks ordinance in the city so people would "shoot your fireworks" and "get it over with" or openly bemoaning a contractor for a cost overrun, Looney never suppressed his opinion on matters that affected the residents of Jasper.

"My advice to the board members is to take care of the city of Jasper," he said near the end of the meeting. "That's what people voted on. They voted on us to take care of the city of Jasper. That's why I've been here 12 years."

Looney said it had been "an honor" to represent his hometown, and that he thinks he has done the best job he could in his position.

But it was Looney's final statement that he struggled through as his love for the town and the weight of leaving the board finally caught up.

"I was born in Jasper," he said, taking a long pause to cover his face. "I've lived in Jasper all my life, and I plan on dying and being buried in Jasper."

The board and those in attendance offered a standing ovation.

At the board's next meeting on Dec. 12, Looney will step aside as Josh Jennings is sworn in as his replacement.

Evans said he looked forward to working with Jennings and the rest of the board, but will definitely miss Looney's straightforward brashness.

"I think the board has accomplished a lot in the last four years, and I think we can accomplish even more. We're going to work awful hard to get there."

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.

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