Bolivar’s newly elected mayor makes history

BOLIVAR, Tenn. — There’s a changing of the guard for the city of Bolivar after the votes of Tuesday night’s mayoral race are counted.

The city will soon be under new leadership after Julian McTizic defeated incumbent Mayor Barrett Stevens in Tuesday night’s city election.

“And the moment that we got the results, I don’t think I’ve came down yet from the high of that excitement and that feeling,” Mayor-elect McTizic said.

McTizic, 30, made history as the first African American and the youngest person to be elected mayor.

“I didn’t want to do it just to say I made history. That wasn’t my first concern,” McTizic said. “My first concern of course was just trying to make the community I grew up in a better place.”

McTizic defeated incumbent Mayor Stevens, earning 53 percent of the votes. McTizic said he’s excited to start his term and he’s ready to make change in the city of Bolivar. One of his goals is to make sure citizens are the top priority.

“Taking care of the citizens, serving them, protecting them, keeping them safe of course, and what we can do or what services we can provide to them that they can’t provide for themselves,” he said.

After serving as a city councilman for the past four years, McTizic feels that position has prepared him for his new role.

“It’s important that we remember that each and every council member that’s there represents a group of people,” McTizic said. “And if I leave out a council person, then I left out a part of Bolivar and a part of the citizens that they serve.”

Mayor-elect McTizic will officially take office July 1.