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By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

Curt Alexander is at peace sitting behind his desk at Edward Jones on Hudson Drive.

It’s a peace that comes from a belief that just as he was led into public office 20 years ago, eventually becoming Elizabethton’s longest serving mayor, he is now being led to exit life as a public official – for now.

“I won’t say I’m gone forever, but I’m gone for right now,” Alexander said during a conversation Thursday afternoon before a reception and City Council meeting. 

It’s obvious what matters “right now” to the longtime City Council member and mayor is time with his wife, Audra, and children – Ava, 12, Alaina, 9, Curt, 7, and Isla, 4. 

Alexander is a Christian, a member of First Baptist Church of Elizabethton and attends St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Johnson City. As he talks about his life in public office, his race against Renea Jones for the state House District 4 seat, and his decision to no longer serve on City Council, he speaks of God’s leading, peace in his spirit, and timing.

For instance, when asked how it was that he decided to run for City Council in 2004, Alexander said Pat “Red” Bowers – owner of Bowers Motor Sales, a longtime City Council member and one-time mayor – told him he should do so. He was also encouraged by former state Rep. Ralph Cole, downtown businessman Bob Cable – also a former City Council member – former mayor Ken Wandell, and Sam LaPorte, who had then decided not to seek re-election, leaving his seat open.

“The timing was perfect, I think,” Alexander said, explaining he was already involved in the community and the Chamber of Commerce, “so, it kind of made sense” to the then 32-year-old.

“It was never my plan to be here for 20 years or to be mayor for 18,” he said with a bit of amazement. “You know, it just worked out that every time a mayoral election came up, they’re like, ‘Hey, we just need to keep it the same. You know, let’s keep going. We’ve got a good thing going right here. Let’s just keep it the same,’” Alexander said, adding that the experience ran counter to what historically could turn into a “knock-down, drag-out” fight for the mayor’s seat.

While council members and staff did not always agree, it seemed cohesiveness and continuity for the betterment of the city were common goals during his tenure.

Across two decades, Alexander has worked with 16 council members, one city attorney, five city managers, five city clerks, four directors of schools – including his nearly lifelong friend, Dr. Richard VanHuss – and numerous state and local officials. The continuity and unity of mission among city officials and staff to create a better Elizabethton has resulted in a list of achievements that includes, among other things:

— providing close to $20 million in capital projects for schools; 

— paying cash for capital assets; 

— establishing a “‘rainy-day fund’ in all city enterprise funds”; 

— issuing $15 million in revenue bonds to reconstruct the city’s nine electric substations; 

— improving and expanding the city’s wastewater treatment plant; 

— a $4.2 million Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in the electric system; and 

— an $8.9 million water metering project that is currently underway.

Alexander’s education and work in the financial sector has undoubtedly been a benefit during his tenure as mayor. A lifelong resident of Elizabethton and Carter County, he’s a 1990 graduate of Elizabethton High School and a graduate of East Tennessee State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a master’s degree in business administration, and serves as an adjunct faculty member at ETSU. A certified financial planner, Alexander has worked as an Edward Jones financial advisor since 2002.

He credits much of what has been accomplished over the past 20 years on City Council to a God-given gift to be able to bring people together. It is something he hoped to bring to Nashville when he ran against Jones in the Republican Primary last August. Alexander had considered seeking the seat when John B. Holsclaw Jr. first ran in 2014, but he said with a new child in the family, the timing was not right. 

When Holsclaw decided not to seek reelection this year, Alexander said he “felt like I needed to jump in there to try to keep our legislative seat in Carter County.” Still, despite praying for confirmation that he was making the right decision, “I never got the peace that I needed to go out and really fight for it.

“I was working on it, but I was doing it because I wanted to help Carter County,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jones was working, too, and raising huge financial support.

On Election Day, Alexander said his wife was surprised to see him heading for his Edward Jones office as if it were just another day rather than, perhaps, doing some last-minute campaigning. 

“I woke up this morning knowing that I’m not going to win this thing,” he recalled telling her. “She said, ‘You’re crazy. You’re going to win.’ I said, ‘No. I have this feeling I’ve never had, and I’ve got a peace that I’ve never had; that, ‘Hey, you’re not going to win, But it’s alright.’ And I swear that was the Lord talking to me, saying, ‘This ain’t what you need to do right now. I’ve got a better plan for you.’”

Alexander said Jones was focused on the race and earned the seat. “I mean, buddy, she worked,” he said. “Nobody can outwork that lady. … She worked hard, and she rightfully won.

“I never did have that peace, and that bothered me the whole time,” he said, later adding, “Losing that state rep at this point in my life was the best thing that ever happened. I didn’t need to be driving to Nashville at least 16 weeks a year, leaving my family, leaving my business …

“I hope she’s the best state rep we’ve ever had,” Alexander said. “I really do. And I support her 100 percent.”

Right now, and for the foreseeable future, Alexander’s focus is on his family, and he believes he was given clear direction to do so when he faced the decision on whether to seek another term on City Council.

The day before the deadline to file for the general election, people were calling and texting him, encouraging him to pick up qualifying papers. 

It was a decision he committed to prayer.

“And it’s like the day before the deadline to turn it in, I got a phone call saying, ‘Guess what? Debbie Gouge has picked up her papers to run.’ And I’m like. ‘That’s all I needed, because it’s somebody else’s time.’ The Lord telling me once again, ‘Your place is at home with your kids when they need you the most.’”

The same day, Alexander said, he read a social media post that confirmed his decision.

“It said 75% of the time with your children is gone by the time they’re 12 years old; 90% is gone by the time they’re 18,” he said. “That’s reality and this is where I need to be.

“I’ve loved being mayor, I’ve loved it,” he said. “I would have loved to have been state rep and maybe I will be one day. But not right now. And I’m tickled to death with that.”