Newsletter

Friday Recap March 6th, 2026

Bill Petty

07 Mar 2026 — 40 min read

My Comment

We are in Budget Season for the next few months. Our fiscal year starts on July 1st and we are required to approve the 2026-27 budget as well as the county property tax rate the last week of June. Our current budget is $900+ million. I recommend that you take a look at page one and familiarize yourself with each line item because we, the county commission, will be approving every penny of our new budget. In the next couple of months, each department will be submitting their budgets for approval and I will be providing you with full coverage so you will know how each committee, as well as the full commission, has voted on all budget requests.

Another document you should become familiar with is our Debt Review as of July 1, 2025. Our debt keeps going up each year and you can go here to track the changes since 2011.

My Campaign

I am running for a full term as commissioner for District 10. You can go to Votebillpetty.com to get to my website. There are going to be over 40 people running for office in the primary on May 5th. Each district has two commissioners and District 10 has five people running with three Republicans and two Democrats. I will need all the support I can get. If you want to help, please go to my website and donate and/or get involved.

Final Candidates for the May 5th primary

Candidates running for county office in the May 5 primary.

Candidates for August 6th primary*

Candidates running for state and federal office office in the August 6th primary. Filing deadline is noon March 10th.

*This is a correction from earlier reports where I had the primary listed for May 5th.

If you don't know who is running for office in your district or where and when to vote, you can go to Grassrootscitizens.com

Also, there is an interview with me by grassrootscitizens here

Meetings this past week were:

Williamson County Schools Policy Committee Joint County Budget/ Law Enforcement and Public Safety County Budget County Parks and Recreation County Highway Commission County Election Commission County Public Health Committee SSDS Task Force

Meetings next week:

Monday, March 9th

County Commission Monthly Meeting with be held at 6:00pm in the auditorium of the County Building at 1320 W. Main in Franklin Agenda/Packet Video starts at 6:00pm and there after.

For all Franklin City meetings, go 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, March 2nd

WCS Policy Committee Agenda Video

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Participant 4 - Research student walkout/protest policies from other states Look for examples with stronger language — Florida has already started developing these following a state legislative mandate, and Ben Torres at TSBA may also have drafts to share.
[ ] Participant 1 - Revise new board member orientation policy for work session Add Robert's Rules of Order as a bullet point, chain of command/org chart, the policy on the superintendent as the board's sole employee, FERPA/privacy laws, and open meetings and public records. Bring updated draft for first reading at work session.
[ ] Participant 1 - Consult Lisa Carson on walkout/protest policy language Get her legal input on the proposed changes before finalizing, since she'd handle any resulting litigation.
[ ] Participant 1 - Revise code of conduct for first reading at work session Remove skipping class from Level 1; expand Level 2 to include leaving campus without permission and urging others to skip; consider pulling mediation and school-level interventions out of the consequences list and placing them in the introductory paragraph instead; consider whether urging others to skip warrants Level 3.
[ ] Participant 1 - Add unexcused absence/walkout language to attendance policy Insert a sentence between lines 12 and 13 clarifying that all unexcused absences — including student walkouts — are subject to discipline as described in the code of conduct. Bring for work session.
[ ] Participant 11 - Update board on e-bike committee recommendations next month Committee meets this Thursday (March 12) to finalize recommendations on checkpoints class, registration/tagging, designated parking areas, age minimums, and campus rules enforcement.

Overview

3 policies reviewed — new board member orientation, code of conduct, and attendance — all moving toward first reading with revisions
No school district in Tennessee currently has a student walkout policy; the board wants stronger language but is constrained by First Amendment case law (Tinker), and Dana committed to consulting district counsel Lisa Carson before next draft
Skipping class is being removed from Level 1 and consolidated at Level 2 with added language; Lee's team will also update the discipline handbook over summer to standardize consequences building-to-building
E-bike committee shared draft recommendations ahead of its next meeting on Thursday, March 12th; no policy recommendation yet, but a checkpoints class requirement and registration system are coming

New board member orientation policy

Donna Clements drafted the policy after finding that other Tennessee districts have one and Williamson County doesn't; she modeled it closely on Rutherford County's, with more detail
The policy previously existed in the TSBA manual but wasn't adopted when the district redid all policies around 2018–2019 under Dr. Looney
The orientation will be conducted by the board chair and/or the superintendent, with Jay (Participant 2) asking that the board chair have the ability to be present or designate another board member to provide a board perspective
Dana will add the following items for the work session draft:
Robert's Rules of Order training (Dan suggested Bobby Cook for a 2-hour session covering the ~10 most relevant pages)
Chain of command and org chart (at minimum: superintendent, and key direct reports)
Policy on the board employing one employee — the superintendent
FERPA, open meetings, and public records laws
Annual agenda (already included as a bullet point)
Budget process overview — Jay suggested Leslie present a quick overview since it's the biggest thing new members need to understand
TSBA (Ben Torres and Jennifer White) is willing to come to the district for a training session; cost is $2,500 for a special session
Dan Cash suggested new board members each write 2–3 things they found valuable in orientation and 2–3 things to improve, since the current class came in with what most agree was a deficient orientation
Donna wants the policy to be collaborative and not overly prescriptive, leaving room for district-led elements like school visits and relationship-building

Board roles and chain of command

Drason Beasleyraised that the board's role — one employer, the superintendent — should be clearly stated for new members; Dan confirmed this is how he operates (going to Jason first, CC'ing others)
The chain of command guidance already exists in board policy; Dana will make sure it's covered in the detailed policy review section of the orientation
Handling constituent emails is also in policy — the guidance is to ensure constituents have gone to teachers and principals first; Claire (Participant 6) noted this should be reiterated in the orientation even if it's already in policy
Media response protocol was also flagged as something to cover; Dana confirmed it's board policy and Corey holds the same philosophy as the previous communications lead

Code of conduct: skipping class

Current policy lists skipping class as both a Level 1 and Level 2 offense; the proposal is to remove it from Level 1 and keep it only at Level 2
Two new behaviors were added under Level 2: leaving campus without permission from a parent, guardian, or school administrator, and urging other students to skip or leave class without permission
Lee (Participant 11) shared that consequences for skipping currently vary significantly building-to-building — some schools give detention, others give in-school suspension — and the discipline handbook will be updated over summer to standardize this as a 9th behavior on the consistency list (joining 8 others like bullying, threats, and fights)
Tony Bostic raised whether "urging" language could also apply to organized walkouts; Jason (Participant 9) confirmed it can, as long as the same standard applies to anyone urging peers to skip for any reason
Donna suggested pulling mediation and school-level interventions out of the consequences list and putting them in the introductory language as tools used in addition to consequences, not as standalone consequences — similar to how restorative conference was handled previously
Lee clarified that behavior modification (behavior contracts) involves the student, parent, and administrator agreeing on specific behaviors and progressive discipline steps, similar to a BIP but for students without IEPs
The data packet (last 3 semesters plus current partial semester) on skipping consequences was included; Lee noted the 2 ALC references in the data are outliers — those students were engaged in zero-tolerance offenses while skipping
Donna suggested the last two new Level 2 additions might warrant a Level 3 designation given the safety implications; Jason said the team will look at that
Dana will make revisions and bring the updated version to the work session for first reading

Student walkouts and attendance policy

Dan proposed adding a sentence to the attendance policy between lines 12 and 13 explicitly stating that unexcused absences — using student walkouts as an example — are subject to discipline, referencing the code of conduct
Jason Golden suggested the language could read "subject to school discipline as described in board policy" to cross-reference the code of conduct rather than spelling out consequences in the attendance policy
Dana confirmed students have First Amendment rights under Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) — the standard is whether conduct is "substantially disruptive to the learning environment," which is fact-specific and requires administrator judgment
Consequences must be content-neutral: the same consequence given for skipping must apply regardless of whether the reason is a protest or anything else
Parents can submit excuse notes after the fact, and can excuse up to 5 absences per semester (10 per year) with no reason required — this limits what the district can do when parents excuse walkout absences
Lee confirmed schools have been consistent within their own buildings but inconsistent building-to-building on accepting after-the-fact notes; her guidance to principals has been to be consistent with their own practice, and the handbook will address this over summer
Lee shared that consequences across recent walkout events ranged from 0 to 70 students consequenced per school, depending on how students left (pre-arranged parent sign-outs vs. unauthorized departures)
Claire Reeves flagged that proactive communication before the Ravenwood event was a missed opportunity — the district knew about it days in advance and the statement came out after the fact; Jason acknowledged this
Dan noted that of 141 school districts in Tennessee and 1,600 public schools, none currently has a student walkout policy — it would have to be created from scratch
Donna shared that Florida passed a law last year requiring school districts to have a protest policy; the Florida ACLU stated students' First Amendment rights don't extend to infringing on instructional time — she spoke with Ben Torres at TSBA about this
Dana committed to consulting district counsel Lisa Carson on what stronger language is legally defensible before the next draft, and will share findings at the work session

E-bike safety and campus rules

E-bike technology has outpaced existing laws — all laws governing traditional bicycles currently apply to e-bikes, even though e-bikes can reach 35+ mph and regulators can be removed easily (any student can find instructions online in minutes)
The district convened a collaborative committee with local law enforcement municipalities a few months ago; the committee's next meeting is Thursday, March 12th
Draft recommendations from the committee:

Students must attend a checkpoints class with a parent before riding an e-bike or e-scooter to school — for high schoolers this would be integrated into the existing driving checkpoints class; for middle schoolers it would be a new standalone class
Students must register their e-bike or e-scooter on campus and receive an identity tag (similar to a parking pass for cars)
Students must dismount and walk their bike upon arriving on campus due to high traffic from buses, cars, and pedestrians
Students are recommended to turn off their motors when riding in school zones (not enforceable, but a stated expectation)
Elementary students: committee is considering a minimum age of 4th grade to ride an e-bike to school — high school student advisory council actually recommended not until middle school, which the committee will consider
E-bike safety education will be added to existing PE bicycle safety rotations at elementary schools
Campus rules (no riding, safe speeds) apply on weekends and after hours, not just during the school day

Middle school principals raised the idea of a small registration fee (e.g., $5) to fund tags and additional bike racks or designated storage areas
The checkpoints curriculum is the hardest part to build — there aren't many existing models since laws are sparse; content is being developed through collaboration with law enforcement
The existing driving checkpoints program (in place 6–7 years) has been well-received by students, parents, and law enforcement, and serves as the model
The checkpoints class and registration process are currently in the handbook, not in board policy; Jay asked about this and Dana confirmed no policy exists yet — the committee may recommend creating one

Williamson County Commission Meetings

Monday, March 6th

Joint meeting of the CountyBudget and Education Impact Fee Task Force and Budget Committee Agenda Video Budget Committee members: Chas Morton (C), Guy Carden, Betsy Hester, Paul Web, Mayor Anderson.

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Rogers - Contact Hills property owner about contract extension Request extension of the 926 Columbia Avenue property contract to June 15, 2026. Aim to have answer by Monday, March 9, 2026.

Overview

Educational impact fee rates increased from $12,399 to $21,663 for largest homes outside Franklin Special District—approved unanimously by both Budget Committee and Education Impact Fee Task Force
County currently holds $95-96 million in educational impact fee funds, generating $1-1.3 million per month
Columbia Avenue courthouse property contract ($17.5 million, 5.7 acres) deferred to June 15th to request extension from seller and explore alternatives—due diligence period ends April 8th
Highway Department received $1,010,000 for storm cleanup costs ($210,000 personnel/equipment, $800,000 contracted services)—total county storm costs expected to exceed $3 million with 18-24 month FEMA reimbursement timeline
Safety Action Plan and Greenways Master Plan adopted, enabling county to apply for federal implementation funding

Educational impact fee study and rate increases

Ben Griffin from Tisher Bice presented updated educational facility impact fee study dated February 16, 2026
Maximum supportable fees range from $2,300 for smallest units up to $34,162 for largest units outside Franklin Special District
County adopted fees of $21,663 for largest units—significantly below maximum but 75% increase from current $12,399
Student generation rates show smaller units generating fewer students than 2022 study, while homes 1,900+ square feet generate more high school students
Construction costs increased dramatically: 110% for K-8 school facilities, 55% for high schools, 46% for buses
Land acquisition costs up 418% for K-8 schools—no longer using $40,000 per acre estimates
Capital cost per student now $50,000 for K-8, $43,000 for high schools after credits for existing and future debt
County generates about $1-1.3 million per month in impact fees with current fund balance of $95-96 million
Jason Golden confirmed next school projected for 2029-2030 timeframe—middle school estimated at $103 million
Two high school expansions planned at $18 million each for 2030 and 2031 (total $36 million)
Fee study must be updated every 3 years, but county can raise fees anytime as long as they don't exceed maximum supportable amount

Courthouse property acquisition options

County currently has contract on 926 Columbia Avenue (HG Hill property) for $17.5 million—appraised at $23.5 million
Contract effective date was December 9, 2025 with 120-day due diligence period ending April 8, 2026
Property is 5.7 acres (initially stated as 6.5 acres but corrected to 5.7 acres)
Jim Cross confirmed test fit shows contemplated courthouse use fits on the property
Kevin presented alternative property at 117 Southeast Parkway: $38 million, 15 acres, 200,755 square feet warehouse facility
Old CPS building not available—currently leasing portions, nothing for sale
No available land near jail construction site on Beasley/Century Court area
Kevin confirmed no other suitable properties currently available in Franklin city limits
County requested to defer contract approval to June 15th to ask seller for extension and continue exploring options
Commission expressed desire to see evaluation of all county-owned property in Franklin city limits before making decision

Courthouse renovation vs new construction analysis

Jim Cross estimated renovating historic courthouse and new courthouse would cost $45 million in current dollars (up from $31 million in 2019-2020 study)—does not include additional parking
Renovation would take 3 to 3.5 years while keeping courthouse operational
Freddie Moore from Sheriff's Office highlighted security challenges: moving inmates during construction, Sally Port access blocked for 1.5+ years during parking lot construction
Proposed expansion includes pedestal-style building with parking on bottom, 2 stories above
Jim Cross recommended minimum 3 acres for new courthouse site, 5 acres more comfortable—depends on surface vs structured parking
15-acre Southeast Parkway property would be more than adequate for surface parking

Storm cleanup costs and FEMA reimbursement

Highway Department approved for $1,010,000 total storm-related expenses (amended from original $810,000)
Breakdown: $210,000 for personnel and equipment maintenance, $800,000 for other contracted services (Aftermath Contractors and Thompson Consultants)
Eddie Hood reported county completed debris pickup in 110 subdivisions, now working on county roads
Total Highway Department storm costs estimated at $3 million including forced labor and equipment
Solid waste department (Mac's department) facing $2-3 million in lost revenue from landfill fees plus additional cleanup costs
Landfill received 6,536 tons of brush as of meeting date compared to 11,500+ tons for all of last year—halfway there in 2 months
FEMA will reimburse 75% of costs, state historically pays 12.5%, leaving county responsible for 12.5%
Connor confirmed reimbursement timeline of 18-24 months based on 2010 flood experience
Phoebe Riley confirmed funds will come from fund balance until reimbursements received

Budget transfers across departments

Health Department: $7,393 for installation of new cubicles and machines to better manage floor traveling
Sheriff's Department: $40,600 for 2 special operations utility vehicles (UTVs/side-by-sides) for special events like fair and Renaissance festival—moving money from tactical to other motor vehicles
Williamson County Archives: $3,000 total for software licenses, natural gas utilities, and phone costs
Parks and Recreation: Passenger van transferred from Juvenile Services

Donation acceptances

Library: $7,090 for donations and memorials
Animal Center: $8,000 from Friends of Williamson County Animal Center for puppy and kitten food
Parks and Recreation: $2,500 for all-terrain wheelchairs
Parks and Recreation: $8,426.51 from J.L. Clay Foundation for all-terrain wheelchairs—Commissioner Judy Herbert secured this donation
Parks and Recreation: $2,500 for all-terrain wheelchairs
Parks and Recreation: $164,951.56 for maintenance and scorekeepers
Sheriff's Office: $4,000 from individual (Mr. Reichard) for technology equipment and supplies
Animal Center: $50,000 from Cindy and Mark Enderly for medical drugs and supplies—Enderleys have donated 2 catios previously and give significantly every year

Courthouse bond resolution deferrals

Resolution 3-26-1 (bond issuance for up to $17,850,000 for land purchase) deferred to June 8th, 2026
Resolution 3-26-25 (initial resolution authorizing bonds) approved unanimously to allow publication—does not require county to issue bonds
Phoebe Riley clarified publication must run before going to market, but approval gives authority without requiring immediate action
If property costs more than $17,850,000, new resolution would be required
Publication allows flexibility if contract approved in June—existing contract allows 90-120 days from approval to closing

Williamson Health consulting proposal

Resolution 3-26-3 requesting proposals for independent consulting firm to advise on potential Williamson Health transactions received motion but failed for lack of second
Sponsor of resolution not present at meeting

Mental Health Court coordinator position

Resolution 3-26-18 approved full-time coordinator position for Williamson County Mental Health Court
Hire is contingent on grant funding being awarded
Grant more likely to be awarded if county commits to hiring position first

Safety Action Plan and Greenways Master Plan

Mike Matteson presented resolution to adopt Safety Action Plan and Multimodal Greenways Master Plan
Plans funded by federal SS4A grant administered by TDOT
AECom developed Safety Action Plan, Design Workshop from Raleigh developed Greenways Master Plan
Safety Action Plan identifies high injury network of roadway segments and intersections with fatal and serious injury crashes
Countermeasures include rumble strips, lighting, and intersection redesigns
Greenways Master Plan includes 21 routes totaling approximately 222 miles
Plan is aspirational with funding from multiple sources: grants, developer contributions (Triune area), public-private partnerships, and future county appropriations
Adoption makes county eligible to apply for federal implementation funding
Beth Lathers (grant writer) credited for securing this grant and multiple other grants

Parks and Rec turf field grant

Resolution 3-26-21 approved application for Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant to turf multipurpose fields at Williamson County Soccer Complex
County match would be $1 million if grant awarded
Gordon highlighted need for turf fields to accommodate fast-growing sports: girls flag football (now TSSAA sport), soccer, and lacrosse
Turf fields allow year-round play in all conditions, more cost-effective than buying property
If grant awarded, county plans to seek additional donations from user groups
Beth Lathers credited for grant writing efforts

Septic regulation legislative request

Resolution 3-26-24 requests Tennessee General Assembly amend Tennessee Code to allow TDEC Commissioner to contract directly with county government (not just health departments) for septic regulation authority
Kristi Ransom explained current code only allows TDEC to contract with county health departments—9 contract counties currently exist
Amendment would give county legislative body option to determine which entity has regulatory authority
Does not change current arrangement where Board of Health regulates septic in Williamson County
Adds flexibility for county commission to be regulatory body or delegate to Board of Health or other entity
Request follows report provided to County Commission on January 22nd explaining why Board of Health currently has authority

Opioid abatement funding for Recovery Court

Resolution 3-26-29 approved amendment to opioid abatement service provider agreement with 21st District Recovery Court
Additional funds approved for housing improvements to provide more beds for individuals in treatment
Improvements will convert current office space to beds, with new office space created in another location
Opioid Task Force approved request unanimously
Funds come from county's opioid abatement fund balance

Other resolutions approved

Resolution 3-26-6: Archives budget increased by $48,000 for overhead scanners and document scanning materials from Archives and Records Management Fee Reserve Account
Resolution 3-26-8: Sheriff's Office budget increased by $56,000 from state law enforcement training program for salary supplements to SRO deputies
Resolution 3-26-11: Public Safety budget increased by $30,611.77 for TEMA reimbursement for emergency management assistance to Texas—reimbursement took 18 months
Resolution 3-26-16: County Clerk budget increased by $50,000 from filing fee reserve account for equipment costs, maintenance, and overtime
Resolution 3-26-17: Veterans Service budget increased by $4,275 (corrected from $2,586 typo) for memorial brick paver sales
Resolution 3-26-19: Approved temporary alcohol sales at Agricultural Exposition Park during annual Rotary Rodeo—Sheriff confirmed no issues from previous year
Resolution 3-26-22: Approved amendment to service agreement with Williamson Inc. (Chamber of Commerce)—removed Franklin Innovation Shelter management, replaced with entrepreneur support coordination by Office of Economic Development
Resolution 3-26-23: Approved annual 4.1% inflation adjustment for landfill permit financial assurance and contract for obligation in lieu of performance bonds
Resolution 3-26-27: Approved overruling City of Franklin Planning Department denials for Juvenile Justice Center regarding parking configuration and architectural features—city planning staff recommended county override, not opposed

Tuesday, March 3rd

The Parks and Rec. Committee Agenda Video Committee members: Drew Torres (C), Mary Smith (VC), Lisa Hayes, Gregg Lawrence, Meghan Guffee, Sean Aiello. Commissioner Torres was absent

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] - Reach out to mobility company about sponsoring ATW wheelchairs at Peacock Hill He works for a mobility-focused company and offered to put in a good word — seen as a natural fit given the all-terrain wheelchair program's focus on mobility access.
[ ] Participant 3 - Talk to In-N-Out Burger about Ag Park sponsorship In-N-Out is opening nearby (Lincolnberry Farms / Long Lane side) and was floated as a potential contributor given they're adding to traffic near the Ag Park.

Overview

All 5 resolutions passed, including 3 donation acceptances totaling $13,426.51 toward all-terrain wheelchairs for Peacock Hill, adoption of the county's Safety Action Plan and Greenways Plan, and authorization to apply for a $1M state turf grant for the soccer complex
Parks & Rec is projecting $12M in revenue this fiscal year, maintaining over 50% cost recovery; both the Parks & Rec and Ag Expo Park budgets were submitted under the mayor's guidelines of 4% salary increase and 5% operating cut
Capital budget request of $5,850,000 was approved, covering renovations at the indoor soccer arena, Castle Park, Longview, Bending Chestnut Park, Franklin splash pad, and the Brentwood indoor sports complex
A feasibility study for the Ag Expo Park is in progress to identify revenue opportunities and guide future investment in the facility

Citizen input on soccer complex

Jim Deck, VP of Officials at the Williamson County Soccer Complex with 42 years at the facility, raised concerns about condemned storage sheds that can't be torn down or repaired
Deck supports turfing fields long-term but thinks the county should address the deteriorating infrastructure — office space, equipment sheds, uniforms storage — before spending on turf
He pointed to Murfreesboro and Gallatin as examples of fully turfed complexes that now attract major competitive events generating significant revenue for their communities

All-terrain wheelchair donations

The department is working to purchase 2 all-terrain wheelchairs (ATWs) at roughly $20,000 each for Peacock Hill Park to improve ADA accessibility
3 donation resolutions passed, totaling $13,426.51: $2,500 from Brentwood Rotary (Resolution 32612), $2,500 from Franklin Rotary (Resolution 32614), and $8,426.51 from the former J.L. Clay Center fund via Commissioner Judy Herbert (Resolution 32613)
The goal is to raise over $20,000 in donations so the county match brings 2 units online; Beth Lathers is continuing to pursue additional funding sources (Gary Sinise Foundation declined)
Units will be based at Peacock Hill; the checkout model will follow state parks' best practice of advance reservations, with staff trained to do a 5–10 minute in-service for users
Participant 1 suggested reaching out to mobility-focused companies in the county as potential sponsors and offered to make introductions

Greenways plan and safety action plan

About a year ago the county was awarded a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, which funded both plans
Design Workshop (Raleigh, NC) developed the Multimodal Greenways Plan — 21 new greenway corridors spanning roughly 220 miles in unincorporated Williamson County; full build-out would place nearly every resident within 5 miles of a greenway
Public input included 4 in-person workshops and surveys with over 2,600 responses
About 3 miles of greenway trails in the eastern part of the county have already been committed to by developers
AECOM developed the Safety Action Plan, identifying the highest concentrations of fatal and serious injury crashes and recommending countermeasures; the illustrative design focused on the Catonsville-Arno and Cool Springs Road intersection (City of Franklin did its own separate plan)
Adopting the Safety Action Plan makes the county eligible to apply for implementation grants; the plan covers the full high injury network, not just the top-ranked intersections
Participant 9 raised ongoing concerns about truck traffic on Carter's Creek Pike and Pope's Chapel Road near General Motors — Mike confirmed anything on the high injury network qualifies for grant funding
If fully built, the greenway system would fall under Parks (as linear parks), consistent with how Brentwood manages its greenway network
Resolution 32620 passed unanimously

Soccer field turf grant

Resolution 32621 authorized applying for a $1M Local Parks and Recreation Fund (LPRF) state grant to turf multipurpose fields on the west side of the Williamson County Soccer Complex
The west side was chosen because it's the most cost-effective to construct, fully lit, and ADA compliant — a grant requirement
The 3 primary user associations (Williamson County Soccer Association, Tennessee Soccer Club, and NUSA) were all briefed last week and are supportive
A letter of intent from another sports association commits $2.2M on top of the grant, potentially funding 4 synthetic fields for a $1M county match
Each field costs roughly $1M to install and currently costs about $60,000 per year to maintain as grass; synthetic surfaces add roughly 4 months of playable time per year and carry a 12-year non-prorated warranty with a 15-year lifecycle
Gordon noted that savings on grass maintenance (mowing, fertilizer, irrigation, etc.) can be held in reserve to offset the ~75% replacement cost when turf reaches end of life
The 3 fastest-growing youth sports nationally are flag football, soccer, and lacrosse — TSSAA approved boys/girls lacrosse and women's flag football this past year, and all but 1–2 high schools now have varsity programs in those sports
Synthetic fields would allow summer tournaments (currently impossible during Bermuda grass overseeding) and attract events like lacrosse and flag football tournaments; Tennessee Soccer Club's 2 annual tournaments each draw about 4,000 athletes, with roughly 200 teams staying in hotels for 4 nights
Participant 9 raised concern about the $1M county match given a tight budget year and the need for employee pay increases; the resolution still passed with one vote against

Parks & Rec budget review

Budget submitted under mayor's guidelines: 4% salary increase, 5% operating cut
Projecting $12M in revenue this fiscal year, keeping cost recovery above 50%; Gordon noted the department's total budget is roughly $22–23M out of a ~$900M county budget, with only ~$10M unfunded
HR Director Claire Cochran presented in February that staying at the 70th percentile for salaries requires a 7–9% increase; the mayor landed on 4% given budget constraints
A process change now allows refunds to go directly back to credit cards instead of cutting checks — this eliminated a significant line item and resolved the problem of uncashed checks being turned over to the state
Bethesda Park broke ground and is roughly 16 months out from opening (estimated ~July 2027); operating costs will increase at that point but revenues are expected to rise as well

Ag Expo Park budget

Budget follows the same guidelines as Parks & Rec: 4% salary increase, 5% operating cut
Staff has been reduced and some positions left unfilled; Gordon said morale and productivity have improved over the past 9 months
Conferences and staff development were cut entirely for the year; safety-critical certifications (lifeguards, AEDs, etc.) are being maintained
The rodeo contract was renegotiated, bringing in roughly $12,000–$13,000 more than last year
A church event during the Christmas season generated $15,000 for a single-day rental
A UC rodeo qualifier is coming in the week of March 9, 2026, using the facility to narrow ~80 contestants down to ~30 for a pure rodeo in Versailles the following weekend; livestock will be stored on-site, generating additional revenue
The -67.9% refunds line item reflects the credit card refund process change, not a reduction in actual refunds issued

Ag Expo Park future plans

A feasibility study is being scoped to assess the facility's revenue potential and identify what retrofits are needed to make it more profitable — the study will include a cost analysis and ROI projections
Gordon described the Ag Park as the county's second-largest single asset (after the hospital property) and said it's significantly underutilized, particularly Monday through Thursday
The 4,000-seat Lanier Arena is currently hosting events too small for the space; the goal is to move smaller events to auxiliary buildings and free the arena for larger, better-matched programming
Participant 3 suggested using auxiliary buildings for wrestling and volleyball tournaments, which could serve county residents and attract out-of-county visitors simultaneously
Gordon raised the possibility of a mid-sized indoor concert venue, noting demand for covered event spaces is high and that the nearby amphitheater has become unpopular due to weather cancellations and traffic issues — acoustics investment would be required
Bending Chestnut Park (360 acres, in county inventory for 21 years, never developed) has 52 springs and was historically Franklin's drinking water source; Gordon suggested a potential future partnership with a private water bottler, citing a precedent in Powell, TN
Participant 1 asked whether the feasibility study would cover traffic and parking — Gordon confirmed those can be included as part of the scope

Capital budget requests

Total ask: $5,850,000, of which $550,000 comes from privilege tax
$2,300,000 — indoor soccer arena renovation: 20-year-old turf and lighting need replacement; facility is a winter tournament venue and has safety concerns with current conditions
$300,000 — Castle Park maintenance building: needed to support the Tennessee Renaissance Festival, store equipment for new riding amenities (groundbreaking imminent), and provide on-site restrooms for staff
$150,000 — Longview pump room and UV system: 18-year-old system needs replacement to maintain state health department compliance for pool operations
$500,000 — Bending Chestnut Park infrastructure: initial investment to begin phased development and attract a Friends-type donor group interested in building a historic village on the property
$150,000 — Franklin splash pad: deck resurfacing and filter/UV equipment upgrades to pass health and safety inspections
$2,000,000 — Brentwood indoor sports complex (24 years old): the white interior wrap used for indirect lighting has dry rotted and needs replacement; facility is described as a strong revenue producer
On the question of whether any of the $550K renovation line covers soccer complex sheds, Gordon said the county shouldn't fund infrastructure used exclusively by Williamson County Soccer Association — they generate revenue and could add a small per-player fee to fund it themselves; the county pays for all field maintenance, lighting, and utilities but charges no rent.

Thursday, March 5th

Public Health Agenda/Packet Video

AI Summary

Overview

All 4 resolutions on the docket passed unanimously (4–0)
$58,000 in total donations accepted for the Animal Center ($8K from Friends of Williamson County Animal Center, $50K from Cindy and Mark Enderle)
Opioid abatement funds approved to support the 21st District Recovery Court's property acquisition and expansion of recovery housing
Commission passed a resolution asking the TN legislature to amend state code so TDEC can contract directly with county government on septic regulations, giving the commission final approval authority over septic rules

Minutes approval

Minutes from February 5th approved 4–0 with no discussion

Animal center donations

Resolution 32610 accepted an $8,000 donation from Friends of Williamson County Animal Center, earmarked for Royal Canin mother and baby food for nursing puppies, kittens, and mothers
Resolution 32628 accepted a $50,000 donation from Cindy and Mark Enderle — an annual gift — to help offset grant funds used for emergency care that keeps people from surrendering their pets, until the Access to Care Clinic is fully operational

Opioid recovery court funding

Resolution 32629 amended the opioid abatement service provider agreement with the 21st District Recovery Court to fund additional services
The court acquired a new property it will renovate into its main office, freeing up the current office space to be converted into more recovery housing
The resolution was late-filed because the property had to be acquired before the funding request could be made

Septic regulation oversight bill

Resolution 32624 asks the TN legislature to amend Tennessee Code Annotated so TDEC can contract with county government — not just the local health department or Board of Health — for regulation of subsurface sewage disposal systems
Currently, no elected official or the commission has any oversight over septic regulations; the Board of Health (an appointed body) has final say
The goal is to give the commission final approval before septic regulations take effect, similar to how zoning changes work
Participant 5 noted the average septic system cost statewide is $10,000–$20,000, but in Williamson County it runs $80,000–$100,000 due to regulatory requirements
Participant 1 asked whether the bill could make it into the current legislative session — Participant 5 said there's a chance a caption exists and the delegation is supportive, but it's not urgent if it doesn't make this session and will be well-prepared for the next one
Participant 5 confirmed the task force's work on reducing costs can continue regardless of whether the bill passes this session

Friday, March 5th

SSDS Task Force met and finished up most of their work. They have one more meeting and will be presenting a report by April first. There will be one more public hearing and it is scheduled for March 17th. For full details on that and the recommended changes to regulations, go here

Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Thursday, March 5th

Budget and Finance Agenda Video

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Participant 8 - Resolve April Budget and Finance meeting date and report back March 19 Determine whether April 9 or an alternative date works, including whether virtual participation for Eric is feasible in the current meeting room setup.
[ ] Participant 15 - Draft and bring forward sidewalk gap funding ordinance Ordinance to clarify how sidewalk gap funding (both the $250K annual allocation and fees-in-lieu) can be spent, including quadrant/proximity rules and a prioritized project list.
[ ] Participant 14 - Bring Central Franklin Parking Study contract to BOMA Contract and scope of services with Walker Consultants needs BOMA approval. Target: by end of March.
[ ] Participant 8 - Send program enhancement requests to committee by March 20 Ranked summary of all program enhancement requests, so members have ~10 days to review before the April Budget and Finance meeting.

Overview

Budget and Finance Committee reviewed FY27 proposed budgets for Community Economic Development departments — no votes taken, presentations for committee consideration
Franklin Transit Authority budget is $5,067,214 (net), a 6.5% overall increase; city subsidy up 6.3% to $1,563,103
Building and Neighborhood Services is flat at $4.2M personnel and $230K ops; a 50% additional plan review fee (after the 2nd review) takes effect July 1, 2026 — already in municipal code, not a new fee
Planning and Sustainability has no new positions or capital requests; Central Franklin parking study (~$200K) starts by end of March and runs predominantly into FY27
Engineering requested a $100K program enhancement for a downtown traffic study (one-way pairs on Stewart, Claiborne, and East Folk Street), backed by DNA survey data
Economic development budget is level-funded at $33,075 each to Williamson Inc. and the Chamber; final ask deadline is March 6
Next Budget and Finance meeting date is TBD — April 9 (original) or April 13 (Monday) being evaluated; decision at the March 19 meeting; program enhancements to go out by March 20

Roll call and minutes approval

Alderman Brown was absent; Alderman Peterson and Alderman Caesar were present along with the chair
Minutes for February 12 and February 19, 2026 were approved unanimously

Franklin Transit Authority budget

Total net budget request is $5,067,214 — a 6.5% overall increase; city subsidy is $1,563,103, up 6.3% over current budget
66.3% of revenue is covered by federal and state grants; the city's share is rising because pandemic-related funds (which required no local match) are now depleted
TMA will now draw on a larger portion of available federal operating grant dollars to offset the expense increase — those funds are available now that pandemic money is gone
Ridership is trending up an estimated 7–8%, reaching approximately 100,000 passengers system-wide in FY26; largest growth is in Transit On Demand (TOD)
Passenger breakdown: 56% employment, 20% special events, 15% students, 9% seniors
3 new vehicles were procured this fiscal year
Fleet facility move is expected sometime in March
Insurance coverage is increasing from $5.5M to $9M umbrella — a $4M increase requested by the city's risk department; no claims in 20 years of operation
The 10-year transit master plan (contracted with Benesch in 2025) will be presented to BOMA in spring 2026 and approved by the Transit Authority in June 2026
Budget breakdown: operations $1,507,603, planning $12,500, capital $43,000; capital is funded 80% federal / 10% state / 10% city — city pays $44K for roughly $140K in value
Transit Authority approved this budget unanimously at their February 3, 2026 meeting

Building and Neighborhood Services budget

Personnel budget is $4.2M for FY27 — no new positions requested; ops is $230K, a 0.4% decrease
Org structure hasn't changed substantially since 2019; two employees recently achieved the new Development Services Technician 2 level
Ops decrease is partly due to completing the transition to 2024 International Building Codes — code book purchases (~$15K) won't recur
Annual floodplain outreach mailing costs ~$9K and supports the city's FEMA Community Rating System standing
A development services navigator position is not being requested this year but is expected to come up in next year's budget as the city prepares to operate the new City Hall
Alderman Caesar suggested the navigator role would reduce the disconnect between what the city requires and what applicants are trying to accomplish

Plan review fee changes

A 50% additional plan review fee (on top of the original fee) will be charged starting July 1, 2026 for any plan that goes to a 3rd review cycle — this fee has been in the municipal code for years but was never enforced
Average reviews per submittal: 3.8 overall; non-residential 4.6, residential 3.4, fire protection 3.6 — all exceed the 2-review threshold
Plan review staff salary exceeds $1M; fees collected in 2025 were only $124K; potential revenue from all proposed fee changes is ~$335K
Primary goal of the 3rd-review fee is to incentivize better-quality plan submissions upfront, not primarily revenue generation
Three additional fee changes are under consideration but not yet decided: increasing the base non-residential plan review fee, introducing a residential plan review fee (reviews have been done since 2017 with no fee charged), and a fire protection plan review fee
A cost of service analysis is underway; Development Services Advisory Commission discussion starts in May, with a follow-up to the committee after that
Michael noted the full B&NS budget is $4.4M while all building permits collected are estimated at $2.5M — context for the fee equity conversation

Community Development Block Grant budget

CDBG is a pass-through fund — not a general fund budget; annual HUD allocation is currently ~$325K (down from a high of ~$385K, up from the 2007 starting point of ~$300K)
Fund balance cannot exceed 150% of the annual HUD allocation at any point
FY24 showed large inflows and outflows due to COVID-era federal stimulus funds flowing through CDBG; FY27 is the first "normal" year on the forecast
A $250K amount was returned to the city in FY25 and re-appropriated in the FY26 budget, which explains the negative expenditure line in FY25 on the fund balance chart
Funds are spent through nonprofit partners and the Franklin Housing Authority for new affordable housing and home repairs for low-to-moderate income homeowners
Michael acknowledged an error in the revenue percentage column on the budget slide

Planning and Sustainability budget

No new personnel, no new capital requests, and no new program enhancements requested
Slight ops decrease from last year; computer hardware is up (warranty cycle replacement for staff computers and FMPC tablets, happens every ~3 years)
Preservation Plan update will wrap up in FY27 — ~$21K carryover expected
Central Franklin Parking Study contract and scope of services goes to BOMA in March; study starts by end of March, predominantly runs in FY27 with ~$200K carryover; Walker Consultants is the proposed firm
Emily noted the parking study findings are expected to inform parking standards city-wide, not just downtown, particularly for mixed-use developments
A new public development dashboard is expected to be showcased at the March joint workshop
The department hosted the TAPA (Tennessee chapter of APA) conference in October 2025 in Franklin — sold out with over 300 planners attending

Engineering and stormwater budget

Base engineering budget is up ~2.4%; traffic operations personnel up ~2.1% (~$15K)
The $277,593 increase in the base budget is mostly a transfer of $250K annual sidewalk gap funding from the Street Aid Fund into Engineering, under multimodal coordinator Max Baker — not new spending
An ordinance is being drafted to clarify how sidewalk gap funding (redirected property sales taxes, in place since FY2017) can be spent; expected to come to the committee for discussion
Traffic operations ops is up $50,630 for detection replacement in the adaptive signal system — pucks in the ground across Cool Springs are failing and need systematic replacement
Capital request of $53,575 is for Procore construction management software to manage work orders, change orders, shop drawings, and project tracking
Traffic operations capital dropped to $0 — the federal-funded ITS/adaptive signal extension project is finally complete after multiple years of carryover
Stormwater budget up $13,354 (1.7%) for medical and retirement; ops down $17,733 (8.7%); no capital request — stormwater capital projects moved to the board's prioritization process

Downtown traffic study and DNA survey

Paul (Engineering) requested a $100K program enhancement for a study of potential one-way pairs on Stewart Street, Claiborne Street, and East Folk Street to address cut-through traffic and limited right-of-way in the downtown neighborhood
Steve Fahey, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA), presented survey data supporting the request
Traffic survey (131 responses, September–October 2025): 97% support a city traffic study; 62% support one-way pairs (rose to ~85% in a subsequent face-to-face focus group of ~40 members)
74% want the city to prioritize speed enforcement; 77% want noise enforcement prioritized; 61% have concerns about downtown walkability and quality of life
Biannual general survey (75 responses, completed last month): top quality-of-life factors were personal safety (#1), traffic (#2), and historic preservation (#3); top concerns about future growth were traffic (#1), loss of character (#2), and parking (#3)
Open-ended responses on reasons residents might leave downtown Franklin centered on growing congestion, traffic, noise, and loss of character
Paul noted one-way pairs are not his usual preference but may be the only viable option given the limited right-of-way and the difficulty of adding sidewalks on two-way streets in that area

Economic development budget

Budget is level-funded at $33,075 each to Williamson Inc. and the Chamber of Commerce for economic development activities
Deadline for funding requests from those entities is March 6 (tomorrow at the time of the meeting); any increase will come back as a PER for a vote, with the revised budget presented in the May submission
Visit Franklin receives $1,547,000 from the hotel/motel fund (1% of prior calendar year collections) — separate from this budget; hotel/motel fund will be reviewed at the next meeting
Eric highlighted Tennessee's alignment between city, county, and state as a competitive advantage for economic development, and noted Franklin competes nationally for business attraction (e.g., In-N-Out Burger)
Franklin has the lowest unemployment rate in Tennessee; the 2025 Citizen Survey results led to a National Champion for Excellence in Economy award at the 2025 ICMA Best in Governance Awards

Property tax and revenue outlook

A state constitutional amendment is on the ballot this fall that would make state-level property tax illegal — follows a prior amendment eliminating the state income tax
The mayor raised concern that if the state can't levy property taxes, it may shift financial pressure down to cities like Franklin and Nashville
Franklin's property tax generates ~$30M annually (~$1.05M per cent of rate); sales tax is maxed out at the current rate
Michael noted that trust in local government is roughly 2x that of federal and state government per the citizen survey, and that the value-of-services rating grew ~7% survey to survey over ~2.5 years
Eric cautioned that arbitrary caps or eliminations of property tax reduce a city's ability to respond to competitive pressures and service demands, and affect bond ratings

Next meeting scheduling

Original next Budget and Finance meeting is April 9 — Eric (city administrator) is unavailable the latter half of that week
April 15 (Wednesday) was proposed as Plan B but Alderman Caesar noted it's tax day and a conflict; April 13 (Monday) was raised but Historic Zoning Commission is in the building at 5 PM that day
The committee will finalize the date at the March 19 meeting
Program enhancement materials will be sent to committee members by end of day March 20 (~10 days before the April meeting)
City administrator's recommended budget is targeted for delivery by May 8 (Friday), ahead of the May Budget and Finance Committee meeting
Tuesday work session (March 10) starts at 6:00 PM at the County Administration Building — later than usual due to a lighter agenda
Beer Board meeting moved to March 24

For all meetings next week go here. The next BOMA meeting is January 13th

Election Commission

Wednesday, March 4th

Agenda Audio

AI Summary

Action Items

[ ] Chad Gray - Prepare draft budget for March 13th meeting Work with Evelyn using 2022–2023 as the comparable election year. Include capital requests for rolling equipment replacement (5–10 units). Target 5% reduction in operating expenses outside of salaries.
[ ] Chad Gray - Post public notice for March 13th meeting at 4 PM Meeting will cover budget adoption, candidate certification, performance audits, and early voting details.
[ ] Participant 1 - Draft civility cover letter for candidate information packets Collaborate with the commissioner who raised the topic. Letter should welcome candidates, reference the information packet, and set expectations around conduct and representing Williamson County. Chair's name goes on it.
[ ] Chad Gray - Send additional election commission policies to commissioners Chair wants commissioners to review policies from other counties (beyond Davidson County) before drafting Williamson County's own candidate qualification/residency challenge policy.
[ ] Chad Gray - Check if notice requirements can be met to certify General Assembly and federal candidates at March 13th meeting Qualifying deadline is March 10th. After the withdrawal/disqualification period, commissioners need to approve those candidates.
[ ] Chad Gray - Inquire about restoring staff directory on county website The recent website refresh removed individual staff contacts. Check if they can be restored.
[ ] Chad Gray - Prepare performance audits for October 7th, October 28th, and December 5th elections All three to be reviewed back-to-back at the March 13th meeting if notice requirements allow.
[ ] Chad Gray - Finalize early voting locations, dates, and hours document for March 13th agenda All locations open 8 AM–6 PM weekdays and 8 AM–1 PM Saturdays, same dates across all sites, for the May 5th primary.
[ ] Chad Gray - Pursue vote center relocation agreements Three locations: (1) work toward a longer-term agreement with Tollgate PHOA for Vote Center 4; (2) approach Gordon Hampton about moving Vote Center 23 to Academy Park Gym; (3) follow up with Southeast Christian Church on Clovercroft Road for Vote Center 25.

Overview

Next meeting set for Friday, March 13th at 4:00 PM to adopt the FY2026-27 budget, lock ballot boxes, appoint workers, and conduct performance audits for 3 past elections
Certified candidates for the May 5th, 2026 primary and August 6th, 2026 general election — motion passed 5-0
Early voting hours set at 8:00 AM open for all locations including Saturdays (close at 1:00 PM Saturdays), consistent across all sites
3 vote centers need relocation — Independence HS is out permanently, Enrichment Center and Gate Church also need replacements
State bills HB 2304 / SB 2564 would eliminate vote centers and require precinct-specific tabulators at early voting sites — commission is tracking
Commissioners agreed to draft a cover letter from the chair to all candidates addressing conduct expectations

Minutes approval + website issues

Minutes from the December 5th, 2025 meeting approved 5-0
Participant 1 flagged that the county website refresh removed the election commission staff directory and truncated meeting minutes to only the last 2 years (previously ~5 years were available)
Participant 5 explained the webmaster is working through ADA compliance requirements from the county attorney's office, with a deadline of April 26th — minutes are back but not yet in chronological order

Candidate qualification policy

Participant 1 wants the commission to adopt a formal quasi-judicial process for handling candidate residency challenges, modeled on Davidson County's existing policy
The need is driven by past cases — one candidate proved residency by producing a hotel receipt from exactly 1 year prior — and Davidson County's experience of delays that impacted ballot printing
Additional policies from other counties and the state office will be circulated for review before the commission drafts its own
Item stays under old business; goal is to review multiple examples at the next meeting and begin drafting a Williamson County version

Certified candidates for May/August ballot

Commission certified the full slate of Republican and Democratic candidates for the May 5th, 2026 primary and independent candidates for the August 6th, 2026 general election — passed 5-0
Not every county commission district is contested — Participant 5 noted 4 districts are uncontested
There is a contested countywide county mayor's race on the Republican side and 5 independent candidates for August
State law now requires candidates to be a county resident for 1 year before filing a nominating petition — Participant 5 noted most candidates qualified have lived here for several years

FY2026-27 budget

Budget covers July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, a cycle that includes the August state primary, November general election, and 2027 municipal elections
County guidance calls for a 4% salary increase for all staff and a requested (not required) 5% reduction in operating expenses outside of salaries
Participant 5 and Evelyn are preparing a draft based on the comparable 2022-23 election cycle (midterms + municipal), which will be reviewed at the March 13th meeting
State law requires maintenance of effort — budget must be at least commensurate with the last similar election cycle (2022-23) — Participant 1 confirmed the draft budget meets this even with the 5% reduction
Capital requests include continuing the multi-year rolling replacement of networking and infrastructure at vote centers (5–10 units per year out of 25 total)
No new vote center equipment or new full-time positions are planned for this cycle; a new vote center may be revisited in 2027 ahead of the presidential race
The commission receives reimbursements from the state for state primaries and from municipalities (e.g., Brentwood) for local elections, which offset costs
Budget committee presentation is April 14th at 4:30 PM in the executive conference room

Vote center relocations

Vote Center 4 – Independence High School: permanently unavailable — a new STEM wing was built adjacent to the gym, eliminating the ability to secure access without co-mingling with students
- Tollgate clubhouse used as a temporary replacement in the last special election (920 voters); Participant 1 wants to pursue a longer-term agreement with the HOA despite the space being smaller than ideal
Vote Center 23 – County Enrichment Center: parking is the core problem, especially with nearby high school construction; Participant 5 suggested Academy Park gym on Everbrook as a replacement — it now has internet capability and a dedicated parking lot across the street
Vote Center 25 – Gate Community Church (4040 Murfreesboro Road): church ended the arrangement due to their growing school; Participant 5 has approached Southeast Christian Church (formerly Franklin Christian Church, 4040 Clovercroft Road) but hasn't received a response; Parish Presbyterian was used as a last-minute backup but is geographically less ideal

Early voting hours and locations

7 locations used in the last comparable primary (May 2022): commission office, Franklin Rec Center, John D. Hulford Library, College Grove Community Center, and Davie Rec Center, among others
Hours set at 8:00 AM open for all locations on all days, including Saturdays — consistent across every site (previously some locations opened at 9:00 AM)
Saturday hours: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM at all locations
No holiday closures expected this cycle — Good Friday falls before the early voting period begins
Finalized schedule to be placed on the March 13th agenda for formal adoption

State bills affecting elections

Participant 1 flagged House Bill 2304 / Senate Bill 2564 as the most significant bills being tracked
The bills would remove the commission's authority to use vote centers and require a dedicated tabulator per precinct at every early voting site
Participant 1's view is that vote centers are popular with Williamson County voters and the commission has not experienced the problems these bills appear to address

Candidate conduct and civility

Participant 4 raised concern that recent public comments at commission meetings described troubling campaign behavior, and that polarization and social media are making conduct worse
Participant 4 wants the commission on record supporting civil elections and thinks candidates should be held responsible for all campaign activities, including those of their volunteers
Participant 1 suggested drafting a cover letter from the chair to accompany the candidate info packet — welcoming in tone but explicit about conduct expectations — with his name on it
Participant 5 confirmed candidates currently receive a packet when their nominating petition is issued and sign to acknowledge receipt; there's no existing conduct section
Participant 6 suggested creating a separate half-page handout candidates could share with their campaign teams
Participant 1 and Participant 4 agreed to collaborate on drafting the cover letter language

Frank Limpus' comments on the meeting:

Jonathan Duda, chairman, asked Election Administrator Chad Gray to check on the fact that the WCEC website no longer contains the names of staff. Also, that the minutes section has been greatly pared back. (This is something that we asked Chad about several weeks ago. We’ve now requested a copy of all of the minutes from 2010 forward in chronological order.)
Approved minutes from the December 5^th meeting.
WCEC is seeking to adopt a formal process for handling candidate residency challenges, modeled on Davidson County’s policy. WCEC will review examples at next meeting and begin drafting policy.
Certified the list of Republican and Democratic and independent candidates for the May 5^th primary and the August 6^th general election. There is a contested countywide county mayor’s race on the Republican slate (Go Mary!!) and five independent candidates that will contest that winner in August.
WCEC needs to work on the FY2026-27 budget, which runs July 1, 2026 to July 30, 2027. It will cover three elections – the August state primary, November general election and 2027 municipal elections.
- County guidance suggests a 4% salary increase and requested a 5% reduction in operating expenses.
- State law requires maintenance of effort – commensurate with the last similar election cycle (2022-23).
- Capital request includes continuing the multi-year rolling replacement of network and infrastructure (equipment) at vote centers – 5-10 units per year out of 27 total.
  - Yes, the machine costs (maintenance, licenses, fees, etc.) continue every year until the computers need to be replaced and an entire new cost cycle begins.
- No new vote center equipment or new full-time positions are planned.
- A new vote center may be revisited in 2027 before the presidential race.
- WCEC receives reimbursements from the state for state primaries and from municipalities (e.g., Franklin, Brentwood) for local elections, which offset costs.
- Budget committee presentation is April 14 at 4:30 p.m. in the executive conference room.
- A meeting of the WCEC will be held on Friday, March 13th at 4 p.m. to discuss the FY 2026-27 budget and conduct performance audits for the past three elections. (Don’t get excited… this has nothing to do with the machines or winners or losers… just the process that the WCEC adhered to for these elections. Keep in mind these people doing the audits are the same people doing the elections. Sigh.)
Three vote centers need to be changed because of various issues.
- Independence High School – replacement to work out: Tollgate clubhouse, even though it is smaller than ideal.
- County Enrichment Center – parking problem – replacement possibility: Academy Park gym.
- Gate Community Church – conflicts with school – replacement possibility: Southeast Christian Church (4040 Clovercroft Rd.)
- Chad will be working out these new locations.
Early voting hours and seven locations set for May election:
- Election Office
- Franklin Rec
- Brentwood Library
- College Grove Community Center
- Fairview Rec
- Others
- Hours: 8 a.m. open for all even on Saturdays and closing at 5 p.m. M-F. Closing on Saturday at 1 p.m.
State bill HB2304/SB2564 regarding removal of all vote centers is being tracked by WCEC as it may affect them.
- Sponsored in the House by Jody Barrett and in the Senate by Janice Bowling.
- Will be addressed in the House on Tuesday, March 10 in the House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee which usually meets at 3 or 3:30 p.m. in House Hearing Room II.
- We have been in touch with Gino Bulso regarding any informational support given the possibility that the bill will be killed in subcommittee.
- We have been looking into the possibility of either legislation or litigation on the vote center issue given our research here. Keep in mind, we can’t bring in hand-marked paper ballots while we are still voting in vote centers, because the WCEC plans to bring in another voting machine to handle the HMPBs -- (Ballot-on-demand) that are costly and NOT certified by the US Election Assistance Commission. Yes, another machine on top of machines to address a problem! They wouldn’t be needed if we were back voting in precincts.
- Duda claims the VCs are popular with citizens and they have not experienced the problems.
- We are reaching out to Tennessee Stands about why they’re not pushing against this this bill.
Commissioner Rod Williamson commented about the issue of civility and the WCEC requested Chad to draft a letter to this point that sets expectations for candidate and supporters for the information packets of all Williamson County candidates.

Frank

Tennessee Voters for Election Integrity

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

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