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Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham announced Monday that he will seek re-election in 2010

"I've been proud to serve for four years as mayor. ... It is just a privilege to serve," he said. "I've got a lot of things that I want to finish up."

Cunningham, 68, is serving his first term in the office. He had a 36-year career as an attorney before retiring in 2006. He served as U.S. Attorney for East Tennessee under President George H.W. Bush. He also served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

The 2010 campaign season officially started Nov. 20 with prospective Blount County governmental candidates picking up petitions to qualify for the May 4 primary election. Cunningham waited more than a week before announcing his intentions. He said the decision to run again had to be weighed against the opportunity to enjoy his retirement.

"It was a question of retiring and taking life easy or still getting into the harness every day," he said. "The hardest part was the temptation was to take the easy road -- playing with my horses and grand kids and take life easy."

If re-elected, Cunningham said he wants to continue with plans to move various county departments to the Blount County Operations Center, located in the former Ceramaspeed facility on McArthur Road.

The county is also building the new Prospect Elementary on Burnett Station Road. It is scheduled to open in fall 2011.

"We've got a school to build and open," Cunningham said.

Cunningham also hopes the controversial Pellissippi Parkway extension to Lamar Alexander Parkway will be built.

"It's in the best interests of Blount County for the highway to be completed," he said.

As county mayor, Cunningham said he would continue working to get the animal control department fully up and running, try to keep taxes as low as possible and to continue improve the transparency of county government.

"I want to make us more and more transparent in everything we do," he said.

One accomplishment that Cunningham likes to point to is the increase in the county's rainy day fund during his watch. The balance now stands at about $11 million.

"When I took office, the rainy day fund had dwindled down to $800,000," he said. "That was frightening."

In other campaign news

Republican Bill Gribble of Maryville has taken out a petition for the commission seat held by Democrat County Commissioner Wendy Pitts Reeves. Reeves has not said whether she will seek re-election.

Former Daily Times publisher Jerome Moon has also picked up a petition to qualify for the Republican nomination for Reeves' seat but has not officially announced his candidacy.