During its May session, the Roane County Commission unanimously appointed Jeff Ollis to the Board of Directors for the Cumberland Utility District, opting for him over long-serving board member Charles Jenkins. This leadership change comes amid controversy, as Roane County Executive Wade Creswell expressed reluctance about making the appointment due to an ongoing, undisclosed investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office following a criminal complaint filed in 2024.

Furthermore, the utility district—which operates from Harriman Highway and serves rural portions of Roane and Morgan counties under a three-member board—was previously fined $36,700 by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in 2023. This penalty stemmed from multiple regulatory violations, including failures to monitor for lead, copper, chlorine, and nitrates, as well as a failure to maintain duplicate disinfection systems.