Town History:
In 1836, Collierville received its name from an entrepreneur named Jesse R. Collier who laid out a tract of land into lots and bought space in the Memphis Enquirer which advertised "The Town of Collier for Sale."  First incorporated in 1850, Collierville was  located first east of its present site, with Richard Ramsey as the first mayor.

The first town of Collierville fell victim to Sherman's March to the Sea. On Sunday morning October 11, 1863 Union General William T. Sherman and his solders defended the train depot from the Confederates. The Union and Confederate soldiers fought one of the bloodiest battles in Collierville and the town was nearly burned to the ground with only a few buildings surviving.

Harrison Irby and Virginus Leake bought and sold roughly ninety acres in lots. Collierville was incorporated again on February 17, 1870 with James B. Abbington serving as mayor. Collierville Town Square was the business center of town and enhanced Collierville's ability to become a progressive community following the Civil War.

Around 1876, a two-story bandstand was constructed in Confederate Park where it stood until 1955 when it was destroyed by a tornado. Ten years later it was replaced by a wrought iron, cedar-shake, octagon-shaped gazebo that remains in the heart of the square today.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Collierville's Town Square continues to be a major source of pride among our residents today. Confederate Park is in the center of this business district - a monument to the southern tradition that has been lost in many larger cities. Confederate Park has served as the site for various events and festivals. In the past, such events were the Cheese Carnival and Watermelon Festival. Many of these traditional events have continued and are celebrated as Fair on the Square, Mulberry Fine Arts Festival, Christmas in Collierville to name a few.

The 1900's were a time of tremendous growth for Collierville as it served as the "trade center" of the cotton industry for several surrounding counties. In the late 1920's when the boll weevil's untimely visit occurred, Collierville began to develop the dairy industry. By 1933, Collierville's importance as a dairy center led to the establishment of a cheese plant by Swift & Co. Soon, Collierville became the cheese-making capital of West Tennessee.

By 1953, industry was fast becoming a sizable contributor to Collierville's economy. Companies such as Hart's Manufacturing, Wonder Products, Walker Machine Products and The Bodine Company provided employment for many in the Collierville area.  Once a sleepy Southern town, Collierville is now a dynamic community that boasts friendly people, outstanding services, scenic beauty and prosperous businesses. Home to approximately 42,000 people and facilities such as Federal Express's state-of-the-art Information Technology campus, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Carrier Corporation and several other manufacturing companies, Collierville has become a much-desired community in which to live and do business. In 2004 Collierville was named by Money Magazine as a Top 10 Eastern US Community. Collierville was recently chosen as one of Relocate-America's Top 100 Places to Live in 2008.

Throughout Collierville's history, the commitment to quality living and dedication to preserving the past has remained constant.  As our Historic Town Square thrives, it serves as a reminder of our humble beginnings and as a beacon for a prosperous future.

A Board of Mayor and five Alderpersons are elected by popular vote for four-year terms.

The Town Administrator and all department directors are appointed by the Board of Mayor and Alderpersons.  Current government officials elected in November of 2008 are:

• Stan R. Joyner, Jr. - Mayor   sjoyner@ci.collierville.tn.us
• Jimmy Lott - Vice Mayor      jlott@ci.collierville.tn.us
• Maureen Fraser - Alderman    mfraser@ci.collierville.tn.us
• Tony Sarwar - Alderman      tsarwar@ci.collierville.tn.us
• Tom Allen - Alderman     tallen@ci.collierville.tn.us
• Mike Russell - Alderman      mrussell@ci.collierville.tn.us

Collierville provides a full range of municipal services including police, fire and paramedic service, streets and drainage construction and maintenance, sanitation, cultural and recreational, planning and zoning and administrative services. In addition, the town operates a water and sewer utility system.

Business Hours:
8:00am-4:30pm
Monday-Friday

Judge:
William Craig Hall

Municipal Court Clerk:
Rae Dowdy

Prosecutors:
Mark McDaniel
Chris Nearn
Loys (Trey) Jordan

The Court Clerk is responsible for managing court operations, developing and implementing court policy and procedures, and collecting all fines, fees, forfeitures and taxes. The Court Clerk's Office has a staff of 8 deputy court clerks who prepare felony, misdemeanor, traffic, and city code cases for the court docket, process court orders, judgments and traffic citations, process and maintain the court docket, and issue warrants.

Court Dress Code

Defendant must be appropriately dressed to be admitted into the courtroom.

• No shorts or short skirts
• No hats/head covering
• No halter/tank tops
• No exposed midriffs
• No low-cut tops or dresses
• No pants hanging below the waist
• No torn clothing or clothing with holes
• No inappropriate or distasteful logos on clothing
• No shirts hanging outside pants