Newsletter

Friday Recap June 5th, 2026

My Comment

Another jam packed week. We are getting close to voting on a final budget for 2026-27 (June 18th) and, as you will see in the Budget Committee's hearing on Tuesday, many additional cost cuts and transfers are being considered to close the budget gap. We're like the wrestler trying to make weight in the last minute before a big tournament.

Monday is our monthly board meeting. We have 50 resolutions to vote on, so it's going to be a long night.

I am cranking my campaign back up

August 6th is the general election and their are four candidates running for commissioner in District 10. Two Republicans and two Democrats. We need to keep Williamson County Red. I and Cheryl Brown are the two Republicans and we need your help to win our races. Go here for me and here for Cheryl.

Neighborhood meeting. This is an informational meeting and we will answer, as best we can, any question that you have. There is a lot going on in the county and we are always interested in your opinion.

April Sheriff's report here

Meetings this past week were:

Monday, June 1st

The Budget Committee

School Board Policy Committee

Tuesday, June 2nd

The Parks and Rec. Committee

Wednesday, June 3rd

Highway Commission. The Highway Commission does not record their meetings, so I have no information to report.

Special Court House Task Force

Friday, June 5th

The Election Commission

Meetings Next Week

Monday, June 8th

County Commissioners will meet at 6:00 pm in the auditorium of the County Building at 1320 W. Main, Franklin. Agenda packet

Thursday, June 11th

The Budget Committee will meet at 4:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin agenda Minutes Resolutions Committee members: Chas Morton (C), Guy Carden, Betsy Hester, Paul Web, Mayor Anderson

Planning Commission Agenda/Packet

All City of Franklin meetings for next week are here

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The AI program I use is pretty accurate, but it does make mistakes from time to time and I don't always catch them. I provide agendas and videos/audios when I have them available and recommend that you watch the video and follow along with the summary to get the most accurate report.

One of the limitations of AI is that if a participant's name is not called out, then they are listed as participant 1, 2, etc. A limitation with audio, as opposed to video, is that one cannot always identify a person by voice alone. As imperfect as these AI summaries are, they still give a pretty good account of a meeting.

Williamson County School Board

Monday, June 1st

School Board Policy Committee. Agenda Video

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Participant 11 - Send athletic period district survey list to requesting board member Share the list of the 69 districts surveyed about athletic periods with the board member who requested it.
[ ] Participant 12 - Add helmet appropriateness language to e-bike policy Add language to the e-bike policy about appropriate helmet type relative to the bike's speed classification and age of rider.
[ ] Participant 12 - Share pilot presentation with absent board members ahead of work session Send the wireless communication device pilot presentation slides to the three board members who were absent, and make herself available to walk them through it before the work session.
[ ] Participant 12 - Add footwear safety guidance to e-bike training Address appropriate footwear (e.g., no flip-flops) in the e-bike training materials, even though the law doesn't specify it.
[ ] Participant 12 - Confirm locker availability at all high schools Verify whether all high schools have enough lockers to accommodate every student if locker use were mandated for phone storage.
[ ] Participant 12 - Implement class-based donation structure using SchoolCash Online for upcoming school year Shift to class-based donation requests via SchoolCash Online for the upcoming school year, with teachers communicating specific amounts and intended uses to parents.
[ ] Participant 12 - Finalize and share e-bike safety training slide deck Finalize the e-bike safety training by recording snippets with two municipalities and local law enforcement, and close with the student PSA video. Share the completed slide deck with the board within the next 2 weeks.
[ ] Participant 2 - Bring athletic period recommendation to board before January class registration Ensure a recommendation on the athletic period (and any related scheduling model changes) is ready before students register for classes in January, so it can be implemented for the following school year.
[ ] Participant 2 - Pull fee vs. donation comparison data for board review Gather and share data comparing money raised under the old fee structure vs. the donation model (class of 2024–25 vs. prior year), including participation rates and average amounts per family.
[ ] Participant 2 - Delete 'duration in minutes' from SDL bullet points (line 17) Remove one of the two (start/end time or duration in minutes) to reduce redundancy in the SDL bullet points.
[ ] Participant 2 - Update SDL policy line 19 to read 'school name' instead of 'location of service' Change 'location of service' to 'school name' on line 19 of the SDL policy.
[ ] Participant 2 - Request amendment to fee schedule to cover e-bike fees for elementary and middle schools Submit a request to amend the February fee approvals to add a fee for e-bikes at elementary and middle school levels, consistent with the existing $15 high school vehicle fee.
[ ] Participant 2 - Add footnote referencing board-approved fees at lines 7 and 27 of policy 3.401 Add a footnote reference to the student fees and fines policy at lines 7 and 27 of the student transportation policy (3.401).
[ ] Participant 2 - Incorporate all SDL policy edits before second reading Add 'speech/language' to line 12 alongside the existing therapy types, and update line 25 to assign SDL review responsibility to the building administrative team rather than the special education team. Also add a comma after 'locate' on line 3 (first page) for Oxford comma consistency, and remove 'including but not limited to consultation services' from lines 13–14.

Overview

Board worked through edits to the special ed service delivery log policy and is sending it back for second reading with several agreed changes
Student transportation policy targeting first-and-final reading at the board meeting — e-bike training nearly complete, fee structure for middle/elementary still needs board approval
Athletic period exploration is underway — principals want a committee recommendation before class registration in January, no decision yet
Wireless device pilot ran 9 weeks across 4 high schools and 2 middle schools — overall 81% of students had no violations; staff recommends wall pouches for high school classrooms, lockers for middle school
High school storage recommendation is contested — Participant 9 and Participant 1 don't think wall pouches satisfy the policy's "securely stored during the school day" language since phones return to students during transitions; majority present are OK with the recommendation as consistent with the spirit of the policy
Class fees vs. donations: district collected less money last year under the donation model but all teacher needs were met; plan for next year is class-based donations via SchoolCash Online

Special ed service delivery log policy edits

Board agreed on the following changes to the policy:
- Add "speech-language" to the therapy list on line 12
- Delete "duration in minutes" (line 17) — start and end time alone is sufficient
- Change "location of service" to "school name" on line 19 to avoid confusion over room numbers
- Change line 25 so the building administrative team (not the special ed team itself) is responsible for reviewing SDLs
- Delete "including but not limited to consultation services and related services" from lines 13–14 — the phrase "all services for OT, PT, and speech therapy outlined in the student's IEP" already covers it
- Add an Oxford comma on line 3 to match line 5
Participant 4 (Marie Griego) confirmed the district can implement SDLs within the existing TN Pulse progress report feature — logs will populate quarterly progress reports sent home to families, with copies available on request anytime
Participant 1 wants staff to think through whether any other related services (e.g., music therapy, contracted providers) should be explicitly captured before the next work session
Participant 1 raised the historical concern that logs can create liability when services are fully delivered but a goal isn't met — Participant 2 and Participant 4 clarified that unmet goals trigger IEP team review and goal adjustment, not automatic remediation

Student transportation and e-bike policy

Board is targeting first-and-final reading at the board meeting, which requires a motion to waive the two-reading rule
Participant 12 (Dr. Webb) confirmed e-bike safety training is nearly complete — two municipalities and local law enforcement are recording intro segments, and the student PSA from the communications department will close it out, expected within 2 weeks
Training covers e-bike classifications (Class 3 now requires riders to be 16, up from 14), speed regulator tampering, helmet fitting, hand signals, and school-specific parking and traffic rules
Participant 1 asked for a footnote referencing board-approved fees at line 8, and for asterisks at lines 7 and 27 pointing to the student fees and fines policy to avoid conflicts
The existing $15 annual fee approved for motor vehicles applies to high school e-bikes; no fee is currently approved for middle or elementary — board agreed a separate fee approval request should go to the board after this policy passes
Participant 6 raised appropriate footwear (e.g., no flip-flops) as a safety concern — Participant 12 said the law doesn't specify footwear but it can be addressed in training
Participant 1 asked for clearer helmet language on line 33 to reflect that the right helmet depends on bike type and rider age — Participant 2 and Participant 12 agreed to add that

Athletic period exploration

Principals are exploring an athletic period as part of a broader look at high school scheduling models (including block scheduling) — no recommendation yet
The primary driver is reducing after-school practice time so students get home earlier — Participant 10 estimated transition periods total roughly 30 minutes, and an athletic period could cut late arrivals home from 5:30–6:00 pm to 4:30–5:00 pm
Participant 11 (Patrick Whitlock, district athletic director) shared that 70% of 69 districts surveyed across Tennessee have an athletic period, and roughly 70% of those pair it with block scheduling — most place it at the end of the day
Williamson County is the only surrounding county without one — Murray, Sumner, Wilson, Rutherford, and Dickson all have it
Participant 11 noted benefits include coach and athlete retention, reduced school absences for athletic events, and stronger coach-athlete relationships, with challenges around AP scheduling, student reassignment if they quit a sport, and facility logistics
Staff wants a committee recommendation in place before class registration opens in January 2027 so any change could take effect the following school year

Wireless device pilot data

Pilot ran Feb 17 – Apr 24 (~9 weeks) at Independence, Nolensville, Page, and Fairview high schools, plus two middle schools, testing backpack, Faraday pouch, and shoe/wall pouch storage
Overall 81% of students had no violations; 12.37% had a single offense; 6.62% were repeat offenders
- Middle schools: 96% no violations, 3% one-time, 1% repeat
- High schools: 74% no violations, 16% one-time, 10% repeat
Violation rates were nearly identical across all three storage methods at the high school level (~73–76% no violations)
72.6% of high school violations occurred in the classroom; 19.48% in hallways; transition violations were consistent across all three methods (~20–21%)
~200 teachers surveyed: wall/shoe pouches were the clear preference — phones physically away from students reduced distraction, cheating, and AirPod use; backpack and Faraday methods were seen as easy to circumvent
~330 students surveyed: backpack was the preferred method; students felt restrictions during transitions increased rebellion and that enforcement interrupted instruction
Parents were mixed overall but broadly agreed phones should be restricted during class; Faraday pouches were widely viewed as unnecessary; emergency access during lockdowns was the dominant parent concern

High school device storage recommendation

Staff recommendation: phones powered off and put away all day; upon entering each classroom, students place phones in a wall storage pouch and retrieve them at the end of the period; lunch access remains as in current policy
Majority of board members present are OK with the recommendation — Participant 3, Participant 5, Participant 6, Participant 7, and Participant 10 expressed support or acceptance
Participant 9 and Participant 1 don't think wall pouches satisfy the policy's language ("securely stored during the school day") because students have phones in hand during every transition
Participant 9's position is that away-for-the-day — phones stored off the body in a fixed location for the full school day — is the only approach consistent with both the policy text and the research, and is what the Technology Use Committee originally recommended
Participant 10 suggested the recommendation is consistent with the spirit of the policy even if not the exact wording, and that "during the school day" could be amended to "during instructional time" to align language with practice
Participant 1 noted that if the board wants to strengthen enforcement, the right mechanism is a board directive to the superintendent — no policy change required, but it would need 7 votes
Lockers were raised as an off-body alternative for high school, but Participant 12 cautioned that high school campuses are too large and decentralized to verify compliance — most students don't use lockers
No final directive was issued — three board members were absent, and the discussion will continue at the work session; Participant 12 will share the presentation slides with absent members beforehand

Class fees vs. donations

District collected less money overall last year after shifting from required class fees to voluntary donations, but Participant 12 confirmed no school reported unmet teacher supply needs — site-based funds and PTO donations filled gaps
Plan for next year: shift to class-based donation asks (teacher communicates directly to parents at open house with a specific dollar amount and explanation of use), collected via SchoolCash Online instead of GiveBacks
Participant 1 is not comfortable with class-based donation asks because parents will assume the money goes directly to that teacher's class — it doesn't, it flows through the school's general site-based fund
Participant 2 acknowledged the implied misdirection is a real problem and said the district will work to minimize it
Participant 1 wants data on participation rates and average payment amounts before vs. after the switch to understand whether the shortfall came from fewer families giving or lower per-family amounts
The board has not changed the fee policy — the fee structure remains available; the district simply chose not to request board approval for specific class fees and shifted to donations instead

Williamson County Commission Meetings

Monday, June 1st

The Budget Committee Agenda Video Committee members: Chas Morton (C), Guy Carden, Betsy Hester, Paul Web, Mayor Anderson

AI Summary

Overview

Budget Committee approved all resolutions and transfers on the agenda — nearly everything passed unanimously
Key school budget items: $4M letter grade bonus (state added $1.7M more than anticipated), $2.4M insurance reconciliation, and the $1,183,842.58 ESCO debt payment was forgiven so schools can retain those funds in their fund balance
$17.85M general obligation bond authorization approved for the Hill property project — no obligation to spend if the purchase doesn't go through before the September contract deadline
County Clerk's Office authorized to write off a list of uncollectible bad checks; Accounts and Budgets writing off a $20,881.08 theft from last fiscal year
Resolution 6-26-46 passed, clarifying the County Commission has authority to approve any sale of the hospital — doesn't touch the Public Benefit Hospital Conveyance Act or proceeds distribution
Resolution 6-26-42 (annual lobbying services review requirement) failed for lack of a motion
Public reading of the budget is tomorrow, June 4th at 5:30 PM in the auditorium

Meeting minutes approval

Minutes from April 28th, May 4th, and May 12th, 2026 all approved unanimously

Budget transfers

17 transfers approved unanimously, covering departments including Property, Circuit Judge, Clerk and Master, Library Board, Insurance and Risk Management, Solid Waste, Parks and Rec, Community Development, Sheriff's Department, Veteran Services, and the Budget Director
Larger transfers included $239,400 within Parks and Rec (temporary to part-time/overtime/pest control), $32,000 in Insurance and Risk Management (building/content claims to vehicle claims), and $53,000 from Veteran Services
AT\&T rate increases drove several communications line transfers across multiple departments

General obligation bonds (Hill project)

$17,850,000 general obligation bond authorization approved for the Hill property project
The county isn't obligated to spend the funds if the purchase doesn't close — the contract runs through September, and bonds wouldn't go to market until the normal October–November issuance window

Property easements

Approved easements to Middle Tennessee Electric for the Franktown Open Hearts facility at Academy Park — a 30-year lease site about to break ground, requiring power access on both the lease parcel and the Academy gym site
Approved $188,700 sale of approximately 235 feet of frontage on Columbia Avenue to the City of Franklin for road widening, with construction expected to start in 2031
The Mayor flagged that the old highway garage may have originally been purchased with highway funds, which could affect where the $188,700 proceeds are directed — legal and Kevin Benson will research before Monday night, and it may need to go before the Highway Commission

School budget amendments

$4M letter grade bonus appropriated — the county had budgeted $2.7M but the state added $11M statewide late in the year, resulting in roughly $1.7M more than anticipated, which helps narrow the funding gap
$2.4M appropriated for liability and property insurance claims — end-of-year reconciliation with county risk management
ESCO debt payment of $1,183,842.58 forgiven for this year — schools keep the funds in their fund balance to offset the shortage, and the county's general/rural debt service fund can absorb the gap given its healthy balance; the same forgiveness is being considered for next fiscal year as well
$300,000 appropriated for trustee commissions reconciliation (difference between budgeted and actual)
$200,000 appropriated for School Support Systems (SSS) special education legal fees — came in over budget this year after being under last year
$506,073 appropriated in the Rural Debt Service Fund for first 6 months of interest on newly issued bonds

Election commission budget

$267,626.45 appropriated for the Election Commission, funded by municipal reimbursements and county general fund balance
Reimbursements are expected from the May 5th county primary and from the General Assembly for costs related to congressional redistricting
Voter notification cards from redistricting should reach all residents by end of June

Parks & rec budget amendments

$600,000 capital improvement appropriation approved for Castle Park improvements, funded by recreation fees — the festival just wrapped after 11 days with over $2.5M in revenue, up from $2.18M last year and $1.5M four years ago
$215,000 appropriated for performing arts ticket revenue splits ($155,000) and vendor-paid programming revenue splits ($60,000)
$331,246.77 appropriated from rec association donations covering officials/scorekeepers billing, disposal fees, and turf management supplies
Parks and Rec resolution 6-26-25 amended from $375,000 to $400,000 to cover the Freeman family contract obligation — estimated total payment is approximately $580,000, with $180,000 available in an existing line item; the Freeman deal runs 10 years total (25% revenue share years 1–5, 10% years 6–10, plus lifetime beverage rights)
$47,800 capital improvement appropriation approved for ball field fencing replacement — 100% funded by a Bromley Ball Club donation

Winter Storm Fern costs

$278,803.42 appropriated for personnel, contracted services, and maintenance costs from Winter Storm Fern, funded from general fund balance — amended up from $277,136.42 to include $1,667 in Sheriff's Department overtime

Hospital sale authority

Resolution 6-26-46 approved, ratifying a state Private Act amendment that explicitly confirms the County Commission has authority to approve any sale of hospital property by majority vote
Proceeds distribution still requires a separate two-thirds vote under the Public Benefit Hospital Conveyance Act — this resolution doesn't change that
Once certified locally, the resolution goes back to the state through the public acts process

Stop loss insurance renewal

Approved contract with Amwins for 2026–2027 stop loss coverage, moving from Cigna to Allianz — selected as the best bid, approved unanimously by the Purchases and Insurance Committee beforehand

Miscellaneous resolutions

Approved $50,000 Animal Center budget amendment funded by citizen donations for building repair and maintenance
Approved $993.57 Health Department budget amendment from the Q4 car seat program grant distribution
Approved $20,000 opioid abatement fund appropriation for the Veterans Treatment Court
Approved $6,520 Administration of Justice appropriation for vacation pay for a longtime employee
Approved $45,000 County Miscellaneous budget amendment (split 50/50 with City of Franklin) — projection was short due to a month of closure for renovations
Approved $190,000 County Attorney budget amendment for litigation and court costs including an ADA claim
Approved $515,235 General Debt Service Fund appropriation for first 6 months of interest on newly issued bonds
Approved Trustee Commissions budget amendment to offset increased commissions tied to higher revenues
Approved $60,000 County Clerk budget amendment for overtime, funded from the Clerk's own fee reserve — no cost to the county
Approved juvenile detention services contract with the State of Tennessee at $186.94 per day reimbursement rate
Approved state health department grant contract for clinic staffing cost reimbursement
Approved Williamson County Fair Association lease — Commissioner Webb abstained as chair of the Fair Association
Approved annual Emergency Management Performance Grant from TEMA — amount unchanged from prior year
Approved acceptance of 6 bags/month of Purina dog food donated by Tractor Supply for the Sheriff's Office
Approved acceptance of a trained Labrador Retriever named Scout donated to the Sheriff's Office for the SRO program
Approved interlocal agreement with Town of Nolensville for reimbursement of CAD system smartphone app licenses
Approved MTSU contract amendment for opioid abatement task force support services
Approved forensic medical examiner services contract with Forensic Medical Management Services for autopsy services
Approved $6,000 Health Department budget amendment funded by a Cigna donation for the backpack giveaway on July 25th
Approved $12,000 Animal Center budget amendment for an irrigation system water leak — the leak has not been fully located yet; staff will work with the City of Franklin on any potential cost recovery
Resolution 6-26-42 (requiring annual commission approval and reporting for county lobbying contracts) failed for lack of a motion

Write-offs

Approved write-off of a list of uncollectible bad checks from the County Clerk's Office — full list will be included in Monday night's commission packet
Approved write-off of $20,881.08 from the Accounts and Budgets office — a theft from last fiscal year reported to law enforcement and the Comptroller's Office, carried on the books all year with no recovery expected

Fund balance audit adjustment

Approved procedural resolution updating estimated beginning fund balances to reflect audited actuals for FY2025–2026, per Comptroller's Office guidance — uses GAAP basis (excluding encumbrances) rather than budgetary basis, so numbers differ slightly from working fund balance figures, but no adjustments to the books are required

Tuesday, June 2nd

Budget Committee held a public hearing on the proposed 26-27 county budget Budget Proposed Cuts Video Committee members: Chas Morton (C), Guy Carden, Betsy Hester, Paul Web, Mayor Anderson

AI Summary

Overview

Beverly Purvis (Williamson County Education Association president) asked the committee to support the school district budget and find a way to deliver a cost-of-living raise for teachers
The proposed budget carries a $1.33 tax rate — a 3-cent increase — with the General Purpose School Fund budgeted at $569,484,432 (vs. the school board's requested $571,684,432)
Phoebe walked through a path to no tax increase by shifting 2 pennies from the general fund to the school fund, cutting the hospital request by $1.5M, reducing the CVB contribution from 25% to 20% (~$400K savings), reducing per-person health insurance budget by $250, and applying ~$2.6M in new state school performance funds — all while preserving a 4% raise for all employees
The CVB cut is contested — Commissioner Mason and Commissioner Tuncliffe both pushed back, arguing the CVB generates ~$1,600/household in economic value and cutting it could reduce future revenue, not just current expenses
No votes were taken tonight; the filing deadline for resolutions is Thursday, June 4, 2026 at noon for the June 18th commission meeting, where 13 votes will be needed to pass the no-tax-increase path
The committee's general direction is to prepare resolutions for both scenarios — the $1.33 rate and the no-tax-increase plan — with the understanding that the no-tax-increase path is very tight and likely creates pressure again next year

Public comment on the budget

Beverly Purvis, president of the Williamson County Education Association, spoke on behalf of teachers and asked the committee to find a way to deliver a cost-of-living raise, noting that not getting one feels like a step backward given current economic conditions
She acknowledged the district has worked to slim the budget and commended Rachel and Jason for those efforts

Proposed budget overview

The proposed tax rate is $1.33 — a 3-cent increase over the prior rate
Key fund breakdowns:
General Fund: 26 cents, $185,019,000 total
Solid Waste Sanitation Fund: 3 cents, $10,547,598
General Debt Service Fund: 15 cents, $70,141,417
Rural Debt Service Fund: 9 cents, $43,985,037
General Purpose School Fund: 80 cents, budget committee proposed $569,484,432 vs. school board's $571,684,432
Highway/Public Works, Drug Control, Cafeteria, and Extended School Program funds carry no tax levy
No public comments were received on the proposed budget during the public hearing

Ag extension budget transfer

The committee approved a $6,200 transfer within the ag extension budget, moving funds from travel, communication, and gas to equipment — passed unanimously

New state school performance funds

The state's single letter grade system (A–F for every school) now ties revenue to systems where a majority of schools earn A's — Williamson County qualifies, with 33 of its schools currently holding A grades
The original revenue projection for the letter grade fund was ~~$2.3M~~~~; the state increased the pot in the current budget year, bringing Williamson County's share back up to $4M — an additional **~~$1.6M** above what was projected at the May 13th meeting
A separate fund from the Department of Treasury offers $25 per student for maintenance and construction costs under the same majority-A criterion — Williamson County applied, was notified it will receive the funds, and the amount is approximately $1,025,000; this fund is recurring and already included in next year's state budget
Jason noted the construction/maintenance grant is essentially guaranteed for this year and recurring, making the combined ~$2M in new state funds reasonably reliable, though the letter grade revenue pot is not guaranteed to stay at $4M in future years

No-tax-increase options

Phoebe presented a spreadsheet showing the gap started at ~$19.8M roughly two months ago and has been reduced to $7.3M through a series of actions already taken or in progress:
Tax assessment increases added $1.3M in revenue
Education impact fee reallocation freed up $6M for school bus expenses
Forgiving the school energy efficiency debt payment for 2026 (and proposed for 2027) freed up ~$1M
To close the remaining gap without a tax increase, the plan requires:
Shifting 2 pennies from the general fund to the General Purpose School Fund (a penny = $2.6M for schools, $2.8M for general fund)
Cutting the hospital budget request by $1.5M
Reducing the CVB contribution from 25% to 20% (~~$400K~~~~) and reducing the chamber's contribution by 5% (~~$20K) — requires commission approval
Reducing per-person health insurance budget by $250 (to $12,250) — this is a budgeting reduction only, not a cost shift to employees; Phoebe flagged that if claims run high, the commission may need to approve additional funds mid-year
Applying the ~$2M in new state school performance funds
School board approving a $2.2M deferral of social studies textbook adoption (adoption was set for August 2027)
The result leaves the General Purpose School Fund with just ~$46,000 above the mandatory 3% fund balance —Commissioner Webb flagged this as very tight
PCommissioner Webb suggested exploring a raise of 3.75% instead of 4%, which would save ~$250K on the general fund side and ~$1M on the school side, providing more cushion — he's not advocating for it but wants the option on the table
Participant 3 noted the $1.33 rate is still 2 cents below last year's original recommendation of $1.35, and expressed doubt that a tax increase can be avoided in future years even if avoided this year

CVB funding cut debate

The no-tax-increase plan requires reducing the CVB's hotel/motel tax share from 25% to 20%, saving ~$400K — the CVB is projected to receive ~$1.6M this year at the current rate
Commissioner Mason argued the CVB generates ~$1,600 per household in economic value and cutting its funding could reduce future tourism revenue, making the net effect worse than the savings suggest
Commissioner Tuncliffe added that a cut could affect state funding the CVB receives and potentially require repayment of funds already received, and said the CVB should be consulted before any decision is made
The mayor and Commissioner Webb pushed back, noting that every other department — including parks and rec, which also generates tourism revenue — already took a 5% cut, and fairness argues for applying the same standard to the CVB
No decision was made; the committee's direction is to include the CVB reduction in the no-tax-increase resolution, with the understanding that if the commission doesn't approve it, $400K will need to be found elsewhere in the general fund
Diane Giddens clarified that the filing deadline for resolutions is Thursday, June 4 at noon to make the June 18th commission meeting for budget adoption
The last advertised action was a 3-cent tax increase, and there is a difference between the school board's recommended budget and the budget committee's recommended budget for the General Purpose School Fund — both need to be resolved in the filed resolutions
The committee directed staff to prepare resolutions reflecting the no-tax-increase path for review at the budget committee meeting on Thursday, June 11, 2026 (Thursday week) prior to the June 18th meeting
The no-tax-increase path requires 13 votes at the full commission

Parks and Recreation Agenda/Resolutions Video Committee members: Drew Torres (C), Mary Smith (VC), Lisa Hayes, Gregg Lawrence, Meghan Guffee, Sean Aiello . Commissioners Aiello and Guffee were absent.

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Drew Torres - Receive and file amended festival resolution before Monday's commission meeting Receive the finalized numbers and amended resolution from Rick ahead of Monday's commission meeting.
[ ] Rick Taylor(deputy director) - Follow up with Arrington Fire on festival volunteer compensation Check in with Arrington Fire to find out whether a donation is being made to them this year for their volunteer work at the festival.
[ ] Rick Taylor - Prepare line-item breakdown of Castle Park capital improvement priorities Break out the $600K capital improvement request into a prioritized line-item list so the committee can distinguish what must be done this year (e.g., electrical, water) from what can wait.
[ ] Participant 5 - Prepare amended festival revenue resolution with final numbers for Monday's commission meeting Finalize reconciliation of festival ticket sales and prepare an amended resolution with the actual dollar amount owed to the Freemans (25% of total ticket sales) for the commission meeting on Monday, June 8.

Overview

Minutes from the April 7th Parks and Recreation Committee meeting were accepted unanimously
$331,246.77 budget amendment for rec association donations passed unanimously — covers officials, scorekeepers, and field maintenance paid by sports associations
Festival fees resolution ($375k, amended to $400k) was deferred — final reconciliation still in progress after the festival wrapped Sunday; will come back to the full commission with exact numbers
$215k budget amendment for performing arts center and community classes passed unanimously
$600k Castle Park capital improvements resolution was deferred pending a prioritized line-item breakdown — committee wants to see what's urgent this year vs. what can wait
$47,800 Brownwood ball club fencing resolution passed unanimously — fully donor-funded, no county cost
Fairgrounds lease clarified: it's an annual agreement, no commission vote required; current rental fee is $37,000, and staff is evaluating whether that's appropriate

Minutes acceptance

Minutes from the April 7th Parks and Recreation Committee meeting were accepted unanimously

Budget amendment: rec association donations ($331k)

Amendment covers staffing costs (officials, scorekeepers, supervisors) and field maintenance (turf management, fertilizer, pre-emergent, fencing, repairs) billed to and paid by rec associations running leagues
Associations rent the fields heavily — soccer associations in particular — and pay the county back through these donations

Budget amendment: festival fees and Freeman payment

Festival ran 11 days this year for the first time ever (normally 9), finishing Sunday, and brought in nearly $2.6 million in food sales — up from $1.9 million over the first 9 days last year
Total tickets sold reached approximately 104,000, up from 90,000 last year; a headliner named Jack the Whipper drove record first-weekend sales of over 10,000 tickets both days
Under the 10-year contract, the Freemans get 25% of ticket sales in years 1–5 (this is year five) and 10% in years 6–10 — the county anticipates a $580,000 payment, combining the $400k amendment and ~$180,000 already in an existing budget line
Resolution was deferred unanimously — commissioner Torres wants final reconciled numbers brought to the full commission; staff will prepare an amended resolution with the exact dollar amount

Budget amendment: performing arts center and community classes ($215k)

$155,000 covers ticket-split payments to outside entertainment companies renting the performing arts center — revenue is captured through the county's ticket system and paid out post-show, so amounts can't be known in advance
$60,000 covers revenue splits with vendor instructors teaching community classes (not staff-led)
Passed unanimously

Castle Park capital improvements ($600k)

Rick Taylor (Deputy director) outlined the need: electrical and water infrastructure are at capacity, roads need improvement for vehicle access, trees lost to an ice storm and emerald ash borers need replacing, and more vendor space and fencing work is needed
Water expansion is tied to the riding ring project on Newcastle Road — the new water tap there will feed the festival grounds, and grant funds will cover part of that tap; electrical upgrades are similarly urgent
Commissioner Smith raised timing concerns given the county's current ~$6 million budget gap and a potential 3-penny tax increase under discussion
Commissioner Lawrence suggested cutting the request to $300k to get started; Commissioner Smith recommended deferring until staff provides a line-item breakdown showing what must happen this year vs. what can wait
Resolution deferred unanimously — staff to return with a prioritized line-item budget

Brownwood ball club fencing ($47.8k)

Brownwood ball club is funding the removal and replacement of fencing on 2 baseball fields entirely at their own expense — no county cost
Passed unanimously

Fairgrounds lease and rental fees

The fair board (a separate 501(c)(3)) holds an annual lease for the fairgrounds — it's signed each year like any other event rental and doesn't require a commission vote
Current annual rental fee is $37,000; Participant 4 thinks that sounds low relative to the fair's revenues
Staff confirmed they are actively evaluating lease terms, fees, and processes at the ag barn

Wednesday, June 3rd

Special Court House Taskforce Agenda Video

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Participant 1 - Add task force extension/continuation to June 22 agenda Next meeting is June 22, 2026. Agenda should include discussion on extending or replacing the task force post-September to maintain stakeholder input.
[ ] Participant 7 - Report on real estate professional property search at next meeting Bring forward findings from real estate professional conversations about on and off-market properties at the next meeting.

Overview

Task force voted to formally drop courthouse rehabilitation from consideration and pursue new construction on a new site
Courthouse Security Committee memo (submitted by Judge Woodruff) concluded the Hill property is the most suitable available site in Franklin — renovation is not feasible, new construction is required, and no better alternative exists
Mr. Benson reviewed 43 properties within a 1-mile radius of downtown Franklin; only the Kroger/Hillsborough Road site and the Jewel Tobacco Warehouse came close, and neither is for sale
Strong consensus among task force members that the Hill property is the right choice — it's under contract, priced $6 million below appraised value, and no verified alternative has emerged
No formal vote to recommend the Hill property was taken at this meeting, but the task force is moving toward that recommendation for the July County Commission meeting
Next meeting is June 22nd, 2026, with a goal of finalizing a report and recommendations in time for the July commission meeting

Public comment

Judge Woodruff publicly thanked Judge Deana Hood for her work as his representative on the task force, including courthouse tours she gave to commissioners and the public
Judge Woodruff urged the task force to think about its role after September 1st — he thinks a continued body is needed to keep stakeholders engaged on design, repurposing, and downstream issues regardless of what the commission decides
Commissioner Lawrence suggested the county admin building's age and original non-office design make it a candidate for relocation, potentially freeing up the 10-acre current admin site for other uses
Judge Veal argued the Hill property checks every box, the county already has a contract, and letting it expire without a verified alternative would be a disservice to the community — he also cautioned against siting a courthouse near a school given the nature of courthouse activity

Courthouse Security Committee memo

The committee's memo reached 6 conclusions:

The current courthouse campus doesn't provide adequate physical security for employees, officials, or the public
Renovation of the existing campus can't fix or meaningfully mitigate those deficiencies
Correcting the deficiencies requires a new courthouse facility
By statute, the courthouse must be located in the City of Franklin
The HG Hill property on Columbia Avenue, adjacent to Franklin PD, is suitable for a new courthouse that avoids the existing campus's security deficiencies
The committee is not aware of any currently available property in Franklin more suitable than the HG Hill property

Judge Woodruff noted the committee's remit is courthouse security — evaluating whether to relocate county admin offices is outside their scope
Task force voted to formally include the memo in materials sent to the County Commission

Rehab vs. new construction vote

Task force passed a resolution to take courthouse rehabilitation off the table and pursue new site selection for new construction
Several members noted the consensus against rehab had effectively existed for a couple of meetings — the vote formalized it

Alternative properties within 1-mile radius

Mr. Benson reviewed 43 properties (commercial and privately owned) within a 1-mile radius of downtown Franklin, sourced from the property assessor
Of those, only 3 were worth serious consideration: the Kroger/Hillsborough Road site, the HG Hill property, and the Jewel Tobacco Warehouse — none of the others came close
The Kroger site is the strongest alternative but is not for sale
The Jewel Tobacco Warehouse is partly in the flood zone and also not for sale; the owner (James Jewell) indicated he'd only consider a property swap, which the county can't legally do — the 1957 Purchasing Act requires the county to surplus property by resolution and seek bids or auction before disposing of it
The Logos/warehouse property on Southeast Parkway was previously evaluated and ruled out: asking price was $38 million, it's adjacent to railroad tracks (noise and access issues), and APCON nearby creates odor problems
Mr. Heller's view is that the review has satisfied the task force's fiduciary duty to examine alternatives, and nothing comes close to the Hill property

Community services building as a site

The county-owned Community Services Building (CSB) sits on 4.88 acres and houses the Boys and Girls Club, community child care, Meals on Wheels, Probation, American Red Cross, Alcohol and Drug Abuse/DUI court, and several other social service organizations
A 0.77-acre parcel at 140 Straw Street adjacent to the site was noted as potentially suitable for secured rear parking
Judge Hood drove by the site and thinks it would be a hard sell to displace those services — the Straw Street park was full of kids, and Mayor Moore and City Manager Eric Stuckey told her the neighborhood urgently needs a grocery store, making the child care and meals programs even more critical there
No task force member advocated for pursuing the CSB site

Hill property recommendation

No formal recommendation vote was taken, but task force members — including Judge Hood, Mr. Heller, and Mr. Allen — expressed clear support for recommending the Hill property to the commission
Judge Hood suggested the task force recommend purchasing the Hill property now to keep all options open, then use the $100,000 in already-authorized consultant funds to work through design questions (grocery/retail component, potential county office co-location, future use of the existing courthouse site)
Mr. Heller suggested the task force report could note that the existing Fourth Avenue courthouse site, if vacated and sold, is likely more commercially valuable than the Hill site — potentially generating more tax revenue for the city than the Hill property would have as mixed-use development
Alderman Caesar (city representative) stopped short of endorsing the Hill property but suggested that bringing concrete proposals for the existing courthouse parcel could open a more productive dialogue with the city
The city has also engaged a real estate professional to look at on- and off-market properties and may bring findings to the next meeting
Alderman Caesar agreed with the idea of building out additional space at the Hill site for public-private retail use (e.g., a grocer) to serve downtown residents and courthouse staff

Task force continuation and next steps

The task force sunsets in September 2026; the chair wants to discuss a formal recommendation for an extension or successor body at the June 22nd meeting
The goal for June 22nd is to finalize a report and recommendations to the County Commission in time for the July commission meeting
Discussion of how to apply the $100,000 in allocated consultant funds was deferred to the June 22nd meeting

Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman

For all meetings go here.

Election Commission

Friday, June 5th

Election Commission agenda audio

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Chad Gray - Set up election commission table at Juneteenth event in Franklin Set up a table at the annual Juneteenth celebration in Franklin on Friday, June 19th, 11am–5pm, with voting info, sample ballots, and district maps.
[ ] Chad Gray- Scan and send certified May 5th primary election results to Participant 5 Participant 5 asked to receive scanned copies of the certified election results for the May 5th primary.
[ ] Chad Gray - Coordinate travel for state seminar on June 29th Coordinate travel arrangements with commission members for the state seminar on June 29th.
[ ] Chad Gray - Mail military and overseas ballots ahead of deadline Military and overseas ballot mailing deadline is approximately two weeks out (around June 19, 2026).
[ ] Chad Gray - Obtain Wilson County's candidate-qualifying policy To be used as a model for the upcoming qualifying period opening June 22nd for three municipalities with November elections.
[ ] Chad Gray - Mail new voter registration cards to all Williamson County voters New voter registration cards going to all ~189,000 voters in Williamson County; target is end of June, may slip to first week of July.
[ ] Chad Gray - Start logic and accuracy testing for August 6th election Logic and accuracy testing for the August 6th election is planned to start next week.

Overview

Two public commenters (Cindy Miller, TNGOP state exec committee; Steve Hickey raised crossover voting concerns, citing evidence of coordinated Democratic crossover in 2022 — commission acknowledged the issue and wants to continue working on it
Certified May 5th primary results are in hand; Participant 1 offered to scan them for the commenter who asked
~148,000 voters had congressional districts updated; new voter registration cards going out to all county voters by end of June / first week of July
3 new precincts (26, 85, 86) approved in the 2nd and 8th county districts, all in the 5th Congressional District
8 early voting sites approved for the August 6th, 2026 state primary and county general election — open July 17th–August 1st
Poll officials list approved for August 6th election, with admin staff authorized to make edits as needed
Post-election audit of May 5th primary and ballot box review deferred to end of meeting

Crossover voting concerns

Cindy Miller (TNGOP state exec committee) raised concern that Democrats pulling Republican ballots can vote down-ballot in TNGOP board races, which she argues is particularly problematic since TNGOP is a private organization required by law to be on the ballot
Miller asked what can be done beyond the existing yellow signs noting that requesting a party ballot constitutes an affidavit of affiliation
Steve Hickey said he has evidence that two 2022 races were directly impacted by coordinated Democratic crossover, organized by two former chairs of the Williamson County Democrat Party
Steve Hickey wants the spoiled ballots and voter applications from voters who switched ballots mid-stream, and wants to continue working with the commission on measures to prevent crossover
Rod Williamson (Election Commissioner) noted that at the prior meeting, the new chair of the Williamson County Democrats said crossover hurts their own party's counts too, and suggested the 2022 crossover was driven by the mayor's race having no viable Democratic candidate — not a coordinated effort

Certified May 5th primary results

Steve Giraud asked when official certified results for the May 5th primary would be posted, and noted Williamson County wasn't showing on the Secretary of State's website
Participant 1 said the certified receipts are already in hand and offered to scan them to Participant 5

Candidate placement policy

Commission deferred the policy on placing qualified candidates on the ballot to the next meeting
Participant 1 noted a new qualifying period opens June 22nd for three municipalities with November elections, and plans to get the Wilson County policy (seen as more suitable than Davidson's) before that deadline

Congressional district changes & voter card mailings

~148,000 voters had their congressional district updated; ~41,000 in Spring Hill and northwestern Williamson County (already in the 5th district) were not changed
New voter registration cards are going out to all county voters — plan is end of June, but may slip to the first week of July
Cards will also serve as list maintenance — returned mail will trigger voters being made inactive
District data is already current in the GoVoT voter app lookup

New precincts for Aug 6 election

Commission approved 3 new precincts — 26 (in the 2nd district) and 85 and 86 (in the 8th district) — all placed in the 5th Congressional District
Goal is to eliminate precincts split by congressional district lines, so all voters in a precinct vote the same ballot style and poll officials can't set up the wrong ballot
Chad Gray worked with the Office of Local Government under Comptroller Jason Mumpowers to create the precincts; a map still needs to be produced and signed off on

Early voting locations, dates & hours

Commission approved 8 early voting sites for the August 6th, 2026 state primary and county general election
Hours are consistent across all locations: weekdays 8 AM–6 PM, Saturdays 8 AM–8 PM, open July 17th–August 1st
Columbia State Community College was confirmed as one site after Participant 1 visited last week — campus is low-traffic this time of year

Poll officials for Aug 6 election

Commission approved the poll officials list for election day, early voting, and absentee county board for the August 6th election
Admin staff are authorized to add or remove workers as needed before the election
Absentee county board is 5 Republicans and 5 Democrats

Upcoming calendar & events

Logic and accuracy testing for August election voting equipment starts the week of June 8th
Military and overseas ballot mailing deadline is approximately June 15th (described as "the week for Monday" and "within the next two weeks" from the June 5th meeting date) — Participant 1 will flag any changes tied to pending congressional candidate litigation
Commission office will have a table at the Juneteenth celebration in Franklin on Friday, June 19th, 11 AM–5 PM, under the shed at Digital Park — will have voting info, early voting details, candidate info, sample ballots, and district maps; in-person voter registration will be available
State seminar is June 29th — commission members asked to coordinate travel

Post-election audit & ballot box review

Post-election audit of the May 5th county primary and ballot box review were deferred to the end of the meeting (after adjournment)
Plan: two commissioners lock ballot boxes while the other two review ballots, then all four do the post-election audit together
All commissioners need to sign the voter registration form review after checking to 200

If not me, who?

If not now, when?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1)

“We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer gently.” (1^st Corinthians 4:12-13)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves" (Philippians 2:3)

Blessings,

Bill

pettyandassociates@gmail.com

Community resources

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