The city’s elected
Councilman David Queener
DAVID QUEENER
“It was something I like to do.”
Even though he is in his first term as councilman, Queener has spent his entire working life serving the citizens of Clinton.
“Clinton is a great place to live,” Queener said. “It’s a great place to raise your kids.”
He is a native of Clinton and a 1976 graduate of Clinton High School. After high school, Queener took a summer job with the city. Then he worked for about a year and half for the fire department. After that, Queener had a chance to become a policeman and spent the next 42 years with the Clinton Police Department. In 1979 he graduated from the police academy and came up through the ranks. He was the first detective for the CPD and became head of the detective division.
The reason Queener became an elected official is that some parents asked him to run for the school board.
During his eight years on the school board, there were two major school construction projects. Those projects were paid for in cash with no tax increases.
Queener was also instrumental in hiring the first school resource officers. He feels that one of his greatest accomplishments on the school board was being involved with the hiring of Kelly Johnson as director of schools.
Queener was then asked to run for City Council by a former councilman and several city employees.
“My background has been in city government,” he said “I’ve worked in every department but recreation. At day one, I was ready to go.”
He is proud of the 8-percent pay raise that was given to city employees in the new budget. As a city councilman, he continues to support the schools and the police and fire departments.
Queener said the city has grown tremendously since his early days as a city employee. Back then, the city was so small everyone knew everyone else. There was only one fire station, downtown, at that time. Now there are three fire stations and a training facility.
How we handle growth is one of the major problems Queener sees facing the city. He spoke of the many industries in Clinton’s three industrial parks and the many downtown antique shops.
He said there is great growth potential at the interstate exit.
Queener is proud of the low tax rate. He likes to be approached by people who explain their problems, and he is ready to help and give advice.
Queener has been married for 42 years and has a son and daughter and two grandchildren. He is on the fair board and serves on the 911 board. He is the former chairman of the Port Authority, and is a member of Main Street Baptist Church in Rocky Top.