Austin McMullen

New Oak Hill mayor to protect Radnor Lake, seeks more police

By Juanita Cousins, The Tennessean , July 6, 2010

The Oak Hill Board of Commissioners elected Austin McMullen as the city’s new mayor at its June meeting.

A bankruptcy attorney at Bradley Arant Bo[u]lt [] Cummings LLP, McMullen has been an Oak Hill commissioner for two years; yet his election as mayor came as a surprise, he said.

“My goal is to have an efficient response in government so that our community and government are viewed positively in Nashville,” he said.

“And I will continue working with natural partners like Metro, Radnor Lake and state and federal governments.”

His top priority is getting additional Metro Police Department patrols in the city of 4,700 residents.

Oak Hill’s Safety Coordinator Tommy Jacobs retired last month, giving City Manager Kevin Helms the additional responsibility of acting as the liaison between Oak Hill and Metro police until city administrators fill the vacant position.

During his two-year term as mayor, McMullen said he plans to build sound[] walls along Interstate 65, erect gateway entrances into Oak Hill and construct safe routes for children to walk to their elementary schools.

He also wants to continue preserving land around Radnor Lake State Park and the land trust preserve at the Glen Leven Estate on Franklin Road.

McMullen said he will continue the Board of zoning Appeals and former Mayor Tommy Alsup’s mission to prohibit building on small lots. Green builder Rob Fielder filed a lawsuit against the city after the board denied him permits to build a home on his half-acre property on Otter Creek Road.

“I will continue to oppose Mr. Fielder in court to protect the integrity of our neighbor[hood]s,” he said.

McMullen, 35, has lived in Oak Hill for 10 years with his wife Kelly, with whom he has two children, Reagan and Mary Austin. He studied business administration and economics at Millsaps College and law at Vanderbilt University.

Commissioner Jennifer Claxton, who Oak Hill residents elected June 8, was named vice mayor.

She is a licensed real estate agent with Pilkerton Realtors and lives on Elysian Fields Road with her husband, Jim, and son, Reeves.