Recently, Monroe County Mayor Mitch Ingram weighed in on two of the biggest issues impacting East Tennessee residents, addressing public concerns over incoming data centers and the growing controversy surrounding Flock safety cameras.

While several neighboring municipalities have enacted official moratoriums on data centers to protect local utilities and infrastructure, Mayor Ingram clarified that Monroe County has no plans to recruit these high-demand facilities. Though the county has not yet passed a formal moratorium, Ingram noted that data centers currently leave a “bad taste” in the region due to their heavy strain on resources.

Ingram also addressed the ongoing debate around Flock license plate readers, which the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department has used for four years through grant funding. Acknowledging widespread privacy concerns, Ingram argued that when used properly, the cameras are an indispensable tool for public safety—helping law enforcement track escaped convicts and locate vulnerable individuals during Amber and Silver Alerts.

Privacy and infrastructure concerns continue to dominate local government discussions across East Tennessee. As state leaders push for broader license plate reader regulations, neighboring Knox County—where Mayor Glenn Jacobs recently called for a pause on Flock usage—has scheduled an August meeting with Flock representatives to tackle mounting privacy and oversight issues head-on.