JOHNSON CITY, JONESBOROUGH,

WASHINGTON COUNTY TENNESSEE

BASIC INFORMATION LOCATION Johnson City is located in Washington County, Tennessee, 22 miles from the Virginia state line; 36 miles from the North Carolina state line; 90 miles Northeast of Knoxville; 67 miles north of Asheville, NC; and 160 miles southwest of Roanoke, VA. HIGHWAYS Interstates 81 & 26. U.S. Highways 11-E; 19W; 23, 321. State Routes 34, 36, 67, 91, 381, 354, 359,400.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION 36 degrees, 29 minutes North Latitude 82 degrees, 24 minutes West longitude

GOVERNMENT Johnson City: City Manager City Commission. Five commissioners set policy, carried out by a city manager and staff. Washington County: County Executive and County Commission. Twenty-three commissioners set policy.

POLICE AND FIRE Johnson City: The Police Bureau has several specialized units, including a S.W.A.T. Team. Traffic Units are comprised of a Motorcycle Unit, Hostage Negotiations Unit, Police Chaplain, K-9 Unit, Bicycle Patrol Unit and a Scuba Underwater Recovery Unit. Under the Public Safety Officer concept, personnel are cross-trained for fire-fighting duties. The fire insurance rating for Johnson City is Class III. Washington County: Public safety is provided through the sheriff's department. Fire protection is furnished by District Volunteer Fire Departments.

 COMMUNICATIONS Johnson City is served by ten area newspapers, including the local Johnson City Press and the Herald & Tribune. Twelve radio stations broadcast in the Johnson City area, with AM and FM frequencies available. Johnson City television reception includes the PBS, CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox networks. Two cable systems provide expanded service to the area. Telephone service is provided by Embarq.

LABOR The manpower of the MSA is known throughout the United States for its work ethic and integrity. Employees are drawn from a 50-mile radius to form the local work force. Items manufactured and processed include a wide variety of metal products, building and manufacturing supplies, and electronic components. Service employment includes teleservice, education, health-related and computer-based occupations.

CHURCHES Protestant, Roman Catholic, and none -Denominational faiths are represented in the area through over 100 churches. B'nai Sholom Synagogue is located in nearby Blountville. 

TAXES Johnson City: $1.93 per $100 valuation. Assessment basis is 40 percent commercial and 25 percent residential appraised value.

Washington County: $2.35 per $100 valuation. Assessment basis is 40 percent commercial and 25 percent residential appraised value.

Sales Tax: Johnson City/Washington County: 9.5% (7.0% state & 2.5% local)

UTILITIES Water furnished by the City. Natural Gas furnished by Atmos Energy. Electricity furnished by Johnson City Power Board via TVA. Telephone service provided by Embarq.

RECREATION Three TVA lakes offer an abundance of water skiing, boating and fishing. There are Little League and Pony colt league baseball programs, tennis courts, swimming pools, three golf courses, and numerous baseball and softball fields. Scenic activities are abundant in the form of hiking, white water rafting, hot-air ballooning, cycling and hunting. Johnson City is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball rookie team; two large bowling centers; a Senior Citizens Center; Boys' and Girls' Clubs; a Community Theatre, the Road Company Theatre Group and a Community Concert series. Fifteen municipal parks and eight recreation centers offer picnic and playground activities year-round. Major attractions appear at Freedom Hall Civic Center. One of only two domed athletic complexes on a college campus is located at East Tennessee State University. It hosts the NAIA Women's Basketball Conference, the Southern Conference Women's' Basketball Conference and an invitational track meet each year, plus ETSU athletic and other local sporting events. The Appalachian Regional Fair is held each August in nearby Gray. The Bristol Motor Speedway, located in nearby Bristol, hosts several NASCAR events throughout the year.

MEDICAL Johnson City's hospitals and related facilities establish it as a regional medical center. The components are: The Veterans Administration Medical Center (Mountain Home); Johnson City Medical Center Hospital; North Side Hospital; Johnson City Specialty Hospital; Woodridge Hospital and James H. & Cecile C. Quillen Rehabilitation Hospital. The county employs 300 physicians and 50 dentists. The Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU has raised the quality and availability of area health care. Medical students gain practical experience at the VA Center, as well as at the Johnson City Medical Center Hospital.

TRANSPORTATION Several motor freight lines serve the city, plus the CSX and Norfolk/Southern Railroads. The Tri-Cities Regional Airport, located 12 miles from the city limits, is served by Corporate Express, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, ComAir and USAirways. Over 45 daily inbound and outbound flights, including jet service, serve the area. Charter service is also available. Greyhound Bus Lines provides bus service to the area. Johnson City Transit provides intracity bus service.

EDUCATION A progressive program of educational opportunities exists in the Johnson City/Washington County area. Liberty Bell Educational Complex occupies a 130-acre site and includes Science Hill High School, two junior high schools and a vocational school. University School is located on the campus of East Tennessee State University. Several church-related schools provide educational options to students in the area. There are ten elementary schools in the Johnson City School System and 11 in the Washington County System. The county also has two comprehensive high schools, Daniel Boone and David Crockett, and two middle schools. Further educational opportunities are also available at East Tennessee State University Milligan College, and Emmanuel School of Religion. Northeast State Technical Community College is located adjacent to the Tri-Cities Regional Airport.

TOWN OF JONESBOROUGH LOCATION Jonesborough, population 4,380, is located seven miles west of Johnson City and 25 miles east of Greeneville. It is the county seat of Washington County. The town is situated in the midst of 6,000 working farms that produce dairy products, livestock and produce. Jonesborough shares in the cultural and economic environment of Johnson City, where many of its residents work.

HIGHWAYS US Highway 11E to Johnson City and Greeneville; State Route 81 to Kingsport and Erwin; and Boones Creek Road to Interstate 26.

GOVERNMENT A Board of Mayor and Aldermen is elected by popular vote every two years. Town Administrator carries out policies set down by the Board.

TAXES $2.00 per $100.00 valuation. Assessment basis 40% commercial and 25% residential. Sales tax 9.5% (7.0% state tax, 2.5% local).

POLICE AND FIRE The Police Department operates a 24-hour emergency service for the police, fire and water departments. The Fire Department is a volunteer operation with a Class VI fire insurance rating.

RECREATION Jonesborough operates three parks within the downtown Historic District. The parks are the sites for the Historic Jonesborough Days Festival, the National Storytelling Festival, the Old Time Country Radio Reunion, summer concert series and the Halloween Haunts and Happenings. Persimmon Ridge Park, a 110-acre facility at the west end of town, provides the visitor with three baseball/softball fields, picnicking, and water-based and hiking activities. Jonesborough's recreation agenda includes 15 annual major events and involves both cultural activities and a senior citizens program. Visitors to Jonesborough begin tours of Tennessee's oldest town at the Visitor's Center, where monthly exhibits feature the works of local artists and craftsmen. The Washington County History Museum is also housed in the Visitor's Center. In 1969, Jonesborough became Tennessee's first town to be listed on the national Register of Historic Places.

CHURCHES The downtown district contains some of the oldest and most charming church buildings in Tennessee. Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian and Methodist faiths are represented.

WATER & SEWER SYSTEM Johnson City Water and Sewer Services Department operates both water and sewer infrastructure inside the corporate limits of Johnson City, and Washington County, and portions of Sullivan, Carter & Unicoi counties. Each year, the department treats over 5 billion gallons of potable water and processes over 4 billion gallons of wastewater. The facilities include: 2 water treatment plants; 3 wastewater treatment plants; 15 reservoirs, 15 booster stations, 79 lift stations, approximately 800 miles of water line and 450 miles of sewer line.

Johnson City Crossing- 3211 Peoples Street - not enclosed. Anchored by Home Depot, Ross’s Clothing For Less, Michael's, Stein Mart, PetsMart, Old Navy, Circuit City, Dress Barn, Lifeway Christian Book Store, Bear N Friends, Bed Bath & Beyond, Diamond Exchange of Johnson City, Sally Beauty Supplies and others

Mountcastle Shopping Center – 214 Mountcastle - not enclosed. CK Raggs & Co, Gourmet & Co., Inc, The Frame Gallery, Columbia Beauty Supply, Inc., Gregory Isbell Company, Kitchen Works, Mulberry Lane, The Travel Authority.

Peerless Shopping Center – 2531 N. Roan – Cingular Wireless Retail, Peerless Restaurant

Roane Center – 1805 N. Roan- not enclosed. HHI, Jade Tree, Dollar General, Cow & Coffee, Beaty Shoe, Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Cowboy Electric, AAA Travel, Carmike 14 Theaters and many more

Shops at Franklin – 3101 Browns Mill Road- Golf USA, Key’s Jewelry Store, Nails 4 U, Honeybaked Ham Co. & Café, Outback Steakhouse, The Grape Divine, Turtle’s Nest, UPS Store, Valuvision and many more

Target Center – 2116 N. Roan - not enclosed. Anchored by Target and TJ Maxx, Books-A-Million, Pier One, Kinko’s, Ladybugs & Leap Frogs, and several other specialty shops

The Mall at Johnson City -2011 Roan - enclosed. 85 stores, including four major department stores: Sears, JC Penny, Belk, Goody's, Lerner Shops, Victoria's Secret, Zales Jewelers, Zimmerman's Hallmark, Kirkland's and others plus the eatery

Television Stations - WJHL (CBS), WCYB (NBC), WKPT (ABC), WEMT (FOX), WSJK (PBS)

FM Radio Stations - WQUT, WETS, WJHL, WXBQ, WAEZ, WKOS, WTFM

Most Popular Recreational Attractions - Warrior's Path State Park, Boone Lake & Dam, Watauga Lake, South Holston Lake. National Forests (Cherokee and Blue Ridge Parkway), Appalachian Trail, Bristol Motor Speedway, Whitewater Rafting, Golfing, Historic Jonesborough, Rocky Mount, Tipton Haynes Farm, National Story Telling Festival

Auditoriums & Stadiums - Freedom Hall; Memorial Center, ETSU

Golf Courses - Three Public, One Private

Tennis Courts - 50+

Cultural Opportunities - Carroll Reece Museum at ETSU, Hands On! Museum

145+ Restaurants - burgers & fries; steaks; seafood; chicken; cafeteria/buffet; delicatessens; family dining; fine dining; Japanese; Chinese; Italian; Oriental; Mediterranean; Mexican and more

Space Location - Garden Plaza Hotel; Holiday Inn; Freedom Hall Civic; East Tennessee State University; Johnson City Public Library; Adelphia Centre at Millenium Park; Carnegie Hotel; Best Western Plaza

INFORMATIONAL NUMBERS

Telephone Embarq 101 N. Roan Street 461-4311

 Electricity Johnson City Power Board 2600 Boones Creek Road 282-5272

Natural Gas Atmos Energy 2833 W. Market 928-1126

Cable-Television Comcast 1794 Old Gray Station Road 282-8386

 Automobile Driver's License Tennessee Department of Safety 4717 Lake Park Drive 926-2911 Mon-Fri. 8:30am – 5:00 pm Tags & Title County Court Clerk's Office Downtown Centre Courthouse - Johnson City 461-1455 County Court Clerk's Office Jonesborough 753-1621

 Business License City License City Hall 434-6000 County License County Court Clerk's Office Downtown Centre Courthouse - Johnson City 461-1455

Voter Registration County Trustee's Office Downtown Centre Johnson City 8:30 am - 5 pm daily 461-1430 Election Commission Office County Courthouse Jonesborough 9 am - 4:30 pm daily 753-1688

Water, Sewer and Garbage Johnson City Water Department City of Johnson City City Hall 434-6000 Washington County Water Department Town of Jonesborough Town Hall 753-6128 Johnson City automatic garbage pick-up and recycling service provided to city and county residents, fee charged. Jonesborough provides garbage pick-up service to town residents only.