2026 State of the City Address & What’s Next Knoxville?

I love Knoxville so much it catches in my throat sometimes. I love its beauty and its stories. I love the heart it wears on its sleeve and the grey of its nuances. I love its people, and when they have big feelings and opinions about the city I love them even more. Even when I don’t agree. Because it means they, too, care so much that they just cannot hold it in.

Most everyone in attendance at Friday’s State of the City Address falls into this category, too. Many of them love Knoxville so much they go to work for it every day: elected officials, civil servants, first responders, nonprofit folks, neighborhood advocates. The ones designing things, planting things, preserving things, and connecting things and people. 

A city’s budget is a statement about what the city values, and those values reflect us. 

Mayor Indya Kincannon said of her $499 million net budget, “I am proposing a budget that’s lean but continues to prioritize public safety, affordable housing, parks and high-quality people-focused services. At the same time, this budget represents a forward-looking commitment to great public spaces, quality of life, job creation and proven partnerships that get results.”

I encourage you to read the Mayor’s 2026 State of the City Address here. You can dive into the whole operating budget proposal here, or there’s a digestible overview here. A few highlights include: 

• The City’s General Fund balance reserves total approximately $114.6 million. Knoxville’s bond ratings are at an all-time high, and the City’s debt per capita is the lowest among Tennessee’s six largest cities.
• Public safety remains Job #1, with competitive pay for first responders a top priority. The proposed budget directs $102.1 million to salaries and benefits for police officers and firefighters, the single largest item in the plan.
• Affordable housing remains another major focus, with more than $8 million proposed. That includes $4.5 million for the $200 million Transforming Western partnership, $2.5 million for the Affordable Rental Development Fund, and $900,000 in City and philanthropic funds to support homeownership, including nearly $500,000 for Habitat for Humanity to build a new Knoxville community.
• Continuing the transformation of Chilhowee Park, the budget adds four new Public Service Department employees dedicated full-time to the park, reflecting its shift from an event venue to Parks and Recreation management. It also includes $2 million for capital improvements, with priorities to be recommended by an advisory group. The midway is set to open to the public July 1.
• More than $2 million is allocated to prevent homelessness and support those experiencing housing instability. Funding for warming centers would increase by $200,000 to $500,000; with a Knox County match, that total reaches $1 million.

View a breakdown of other budget priorities here. The budget goes to City Council for first reading April 28, with hearings May 7 and a second reading May 26. 

Beyond the number crunching, State of the City is an opportunity to step back and reflect: How are we doing, overall? 

I called Alan on my drive home from State of the City on impulse, forgetting he was out of town. He answered from a beach in Florida. As much as he’s loved all his retirement travel, he told me, he’s always excited to come home. He loves Knoxville that much, too. 

Toes in the sand, he listened as I set the scene: sunshine at the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park, butterflies moving through the pavilion, a red-tailed hawk circling overhead.

“… an ocean breeze,” Alan mused.

It was also Arbor Day, and trees were a big theme. Mayor Kincannon shared the story of planting a pine tree she got on Arbor Day in elementary school:

“My tiny seedling survived the bus ride home, and my parents let me plant it in a rocky little corner of our yard. It was really far from the house, way too far for a hose. I watered it once or twice, and was careful not to mow it over. And then, in one of those everyday miracles, the tree survived! By the time I graduated from High School it was 20 feet tall – a strong evergreen tree that provided shade, beauty and shelter. The little seedling I planted was now taller than me! I was so proud.”

Trees young and old framed the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park. Nearly 20% of Knoxville’s public trees have been planted during this administration, including almost 2,000 in the last 16 months alone. The goal is to grow Knoxville’s tree canopy to 40% by 2040.

Since the address, the concept of planting something now that you may not fully enjoy for years has been on my mind. 

On Sunday afternoon, I poked my head over the fence to ask a neighbor about a stand of invasive autumn olive between our properties, technically on theirs. It’s doing solid work as a privacy screen for their hot tub patio, so I assumed they might be attached.

I offered to replace it with some native illicium I’d picked up at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum sale: bright, evergreen, eventually a tidy 6- to 8-foot hedge. But it would take some time to grow. 

“Well, you know what they say,” my neighbor said, agreeably. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

At the address, I spotted Mayor Kincannon’s predecessor Madeline Rogero in the crowd. Rogero planted the seed for the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park and Kincannon carried it forward. Leadership, done well, is a long-game job.

“Planting a tree signifies hope,” the Mayor said. “Hope, coupled with great leadership, thoughtful planning, and a clear vision, can be transformative.”

What can we plant now that will grow into something we can benefit from in the future?

One way to weigh in is through What’s Next Knoxville?, a collaborative process to update the city’s 25-year Comprehensive Plan, shaping future land use, transportation and infrastructure. Opportunities to participate, both in-person and online, will continue throughout the year. It kicks off with a series of listening sessions, three of which remain this week:

Wednesday, April 29: Public Works Service Center (3131 Morris Ave.), 5–7 p.m.

Thursday, April 30: East Tennessee Historical Society (601 S. Gay St.), 11 a.m.–1 p.m.; Whittle Springs Middle School (2700 White Oak Ln.), 4:30–6:30 p.m.

Cheryl Ball, the City’s chief policy officer, was handing out What’s Next? flyers after the address.

“This is a great opportunity for Knoxville residents to come and tell us what their vision for the future looks like,” she said. “We want to hear from everyone.”