The City of Townsend was chartered in 1921 by folks who were involved with the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company. Those folks saw the benefit to the citizens with a collective voice representing the needs and desires of the people. The City operates under a charter by which the parameters of its boundaries and codes are defined. The main source of revenue is the state sales tax collected by city businesses. The City of Townsend has no property tax. Some of the other sources of revenue to the City are: in lieu of taxes, franchise taxes, beer taxes, and road taxes.
The City provides services to the people. Some are police protection; street maintenance; street lighting; fire protection through paid subscriptions for City residents to the Townsend Volunteer Fire Department; planning; zoning and recreation.
The Townsend Chamber of Commerce Townsend, Tennessee Welcomes You to Townsend and the Great Smoky Mountains
Townsend, Tennessee, adjacent to the Cades Cove and Little River region of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a quiet and scenic village.
Known as "The Peaceful Side of the Smokies"TM the Townsend area with its abundance of outdoor activities, accommodations, craft shops, and seasonal festivals, provides an ideal vacation getaway or retirement home site. It is a perfect destination for visits to Cades Cove and other attractions in the Smokies.