by Chris Butler, Editor Tennessee Watchdog Commissioners in Williamson County can either sell the hospital the county owns, or they can raise property taxes. All that growth in the county won’t pay for itself. As reported, three county commissioners want to know if it’s smart for the county to sell Williamson Medical and get extra money — about half a billion dollars’ worth — to help pay for new development. Those commissioners, Todd Kaestner, Gregg Lawrence, and Sherri Clark, said they don’t know for sure that they want to sell the hospital. They said they just want to study the idea. Most other commissioners, though, won’t budge even on that. The county has owned the hospital since the 1950s. Commissioners aren’t slashing spending either, Kaestner said. So, what must the county to do to make ends meet? If county officials won’t sell the hospital then the only alternative is to jack up property taxes year after year, Kaestner said. “Centennial Hospital (in Nashville) pays Davidson County $3 million a year in property taxes, and we get zero from Williamson Medical Center. Those are two facts,” Kaestner said. “We didn’t raise property taxes this year, but it was only…
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