Jerry Stone: How to Live and Govern Within Your Means

As much as county commissioner Jerry Stone would like to drive a Cadillac, he’ll have to be content with a Chevrolet. His philosophy, both in politics and his personal life is to “live within your means.” 

Stone, a 70-year-old county commissioner in Tennessee, has always been proud of his motto and tried to follow it throughout his life. The motto influenced his job, evidenced by the fact that his county has not seen a tax increase in nearly ten years. Stone was first elected just over seven years ago. He is passionate about preserving a solid budget that allows the county to operate with its means. 

“Budget sets the tone for the way the county is going to be operated,” said Stone. 

Stone brings years of political know-how to his current position. Fresh out of high school, Stone spent several years serving in the military on active duty in Europe. When he came back to the U.S., he saw liberals prompting America to move toward European economic policies. That was more than troubling. “I had seen how Europe was, and thought ‘no I don’t want to be like Europe.’ That was when I became a Conservative.” 

When Stone first became involved with politics, their precinct was heavily liberal-leaning. This didn’t stop them from helping out with many campaign for conservative candidates. Because Stone had followed his own advice and lived within his means, he was able to retire at age 56. 

In 1990, Stone ran for county commissioner. He ran a campaign largely based on door-to-door and face-to-face interactions. He served his term for four years, but did not re-apply to run. “My run was precipitated by a large tax that was put through by the county commissioner the prior to 1990.”

Stone ran again in 2010 and won a spot as county commissioner where he now serves as the chairman of the County Budget Committee, and as a board member of the education committee where school budgets are presented, and the emergency Service Committees. “The county commission is the legislative body for the county, a state legislature at the county level.” Stone, along with other commissioners, appropriates funds, sets tax rates, and funds school budgets.

This year they face an opposing group that is campaigning on fully funded schools. When Stone asked the opposing group what fully funded schools look like, the answer was giving the schools “whatever the school system wants.” He went to work:

“I looked at the budget history for the last eight years…If we had funded everything the school requested, our tax rate would be a 50 percent increase.” 

Stone believes that you have to learn how to say no and adjust, since no bureaucracy voluntarily reforms itself. “Only way they reform is if you squeeze their budget, and [they] have to give up superfluous stuff.”

Stone attended an American Majority New Leaders Training held last month in the Nashville Area, Tenn. Appreciative of what American Majority is doing, Stone was encouraged by the accessibility of the material presented. “A lot of these seminars you come away wondering why’d I spend my day there [but] you guys present the material in a way that’s easy to assimilate.” Stone was also encouraged to realize that his first election was run by what American Majority was advocating.