Shane McFarland (born August 5, 1974)[4][5] is an American politician who is currently serving as the 57th Mayor of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, since 2014. He was first elected on April 15, 2014,[6] 40 years old, making him the youngest mayor in Murfreesboro history.[7] McFarland was recently re-elected in 2022.[8] Though elected in a non-partisan municipal election, McFarland is affiliated with the Republican Party.[9][10]
Shane McFarland | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Murfreesboro | |
| Assumed office May 1, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Tommy Bragg[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 5, 1974 Monteagle, Tennessee[2] |
| Political party | Republican[3] |
| Education | Middle Tennessee State University (BA) |
| Website | Government website |
Education
editShane McFarland is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. He served as 1995-1996 MTSU Student Body (SGA) President and received his BA in Accounting in 1997. He is a 1998 graduate of Leadership Rutherford.[11]
Career
editShane McFarland was elected to the Murfreesboro City Council in 2006. He later ran for mayor and won in 2014, and is still currently mayor, recently getting re-elected in 2022.[12]
Events during mayor tenure
editIn 2017, white nationalists groups that rallied Saturday in Shelbyville, Tennessee, were met by a large police presence and dozens of shouting counterprotesters. Hours later, a second rally planned in nearby Murfreesboro was canceled. Shane McFarland denounced the rallies.[13][14]
In June, 2023, the Murfreesboro city council enacted an ordinance outlawing “indecent exposure, public indecency, lewd behavior, nudity or sexual conduct”. A reference within the ordinance to an element of the city code that categorized homosexuality as an act of indecent sexual conduct, meant that this change effectively banned homosexual activity.[15] The ordinance was used to deny support for local Pride events and remove books with LGBT+ content from the town library.[15] Following a First Amendment lawsuit from the ACLU and BoroPride, Murfreesboro city council voted unanimously to modify the ordinance to remove reference to homosexuality on Oct. 19, 2023.[16][17][18]
References
edit- ^ Fagan, Jonathon (April 27, 2014). "End of 'The Bragg Era'". The Murfreesboro Post. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ "Murfreesboro Mayor McFarland talks municipal growth | Tennessee Municipal League". The Tennessee Municipal League (TML). 2016. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ Broden, Scott (April 30, 2014). "Mayor McFarland to take oath of office Thursday". The Daily News Journal. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
- ^ "Mayor McFarland's 49th birthday, 8-5-2023". m.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "Murfreesboro Mayor McFarland talks municipal growth | Tennessee Municipal League". The Tennessee Municipal League (TML). 2016. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "Election Results". secure.rutherfordcountytn.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "Mayor Shane McFarland | Murfreesboro, TN - Official Website". www.murfreesborotn.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ Broden, Nancy DeGennaro and Scott. "Shane McFarland remains Murfreesboro mayor; Scales-Harris retains council seat". The Daily News Journal. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Broden, Scott (April 30, 2014). "Mayor McFarland to take oath of office Thursday". The Daily News Journal. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
- ^ Ragland-Hudgins, Mealand. "Election 2018: Why Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland endorses Bill Lee for governor". The Daily News Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "Mayor Shane McFarland | Murfreesboro, TN - Official Website". www.murfreesborotn.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "Mayor Shane McFarland | Murfreesboro, TN - Official Website". www.murfreesborotn.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ DeGennaro, Nancy. "Mayor's #WeAreMurfreesboro video denounces White Lives Matter rally". The Daily News Journal. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Levenson, Eric (2017-10-28). "White nationalists cancel second rally in Tennessee". CNN. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ a b Reed, Erin. "City Ordinance Banning Public Homosexuality Reaches Rutherford County Libraries". www.erininthemorning.com. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
- ^ "The Daily News Journal Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts". subscribe.dnj.com. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
- ^ "The Daily News Journal". www.dnj.com. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
- ^ "The Daily News Journal". www.dnj.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.