Roane County Mayor Wade Creswell announced that local tourism is driving unprecedented economic growth, outpacing the state average by a factor of three over the past year. According to the mayor, visitor spending has grown by 50 percent over the last seven years, fueled by key regional assets such as Watts Bar Lake and collaborative partnerships with local alliances, municipalities, and the County Commission.

Creswell emphasized that this influx of outside spending directly benefits residents by keeping local property taxes roughly 10 percent lower than they would be otherwise, mitigating financial pressure for families across the county.