Candidate for Williamson County Commissioner Derides Parent Protestors as ‘Helicopter Moms’

Courtenay Rogers

In an advertisement for a political event, a candidate for Williamson County Commissioner expressed her displeasure with parents who want a say in what is being taught to their children.

“Hey Williamson County! Are you sick of being embarrassed by our elected officials? Are you over the helicopter moms banning books? Are you sick of the slate of hate? Are you ready to TAKE BACK TENNESSEE? Meet YOUR Candidates on Monday from 5:30-7,” Vice Chair of the Williamson County Democrat Party Courtenay Rogers said.

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Commentary: What is Happening to Williamson Medical Center?

Tennessee Star

As soon as elections for Williamson County Commission were over in May 2018 the Commission gave the local Chamber of Commerce an additional annual $100K to promote more growth. The $1.5 million of county taxpayers’ money the Chamber has received over the last 5 years is clearly not an investment that is working out well for taxpayers.  In another expected post-election move the Commission raised county property by a modest 3.3%, the second increase in 3 years. This increase barely makes a dent in the liabilities the county has accumulated and will most assuredly be followed shortly by additional property tax increases.

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Commentary: What Happened to Williamson County?

Williamson County

by Ira Weiss and Don Barnett   As you travel about Williamson County you can’t help but notice the construction sites everywhere. Maybe it is time to take a closer look before you wake up one morning to find you no longer live in the suburbs or exurbs, but live in an environment that looks more like a city replete with tall buildings, massive traffic – including commuter rail and heavy bus and truck traffic, and other urban necessities. What is driving the higher growth in Williamson County? In 2012, the Williamson County Commission contracted with the Williamson Chamber of Commerce – which also calls itself Williamson Inc. – to promote growth. The result has been growth on steroids. In fact, the Chamber is contractually obligated to secure a minimum of 25 corporate relocation and expansion projects for the current fiscal year alone.  As part of its mandate it must achieve a level of job growth in Williamson County that is at least 25% higher than that of the national county average.  And all of this deal-making is happening in private with almost no input from county residents. For its efforts to promote hyper growth the Chamber has received nearly…

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Williamson County Commissioner Kaestner: Either Sell Hospital or Raise Taxes

  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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Commissioner Lawrence: County Might Prosper If Williamson County Medical Center Is Sold

Tennessee Star

  By Chris Butler, Editor Tennessee Watchdog   Selling the Williamson County Medical Center to private interests could help more hospitals and clinics set up shop in the area, said one of the few county commissioners who wants to study the idea. People who live in and around Williamson County and want more competition would get it, said County Commissioner Gregg Lawrence. As long as Williamson Medical is under county control, hospital administrators will take advantage of Certificate of Need laws. Those same hospital administrators will clog up the works when it comes to anyone trying to build a competing hospital, said County Commissioner Todd Kaestner. The potential rewards of selling the hospital to private interests are too great to ignore, both men said. “The biggest thing is you can bring in a private owner who has the resources to do capital investment of a significant size. You could add a lot more services at Williamson Medical,” Lawrence said, adding the hospital currently does not offer spinal surgeries, heart surgeries, or cancer treatments. As reported, most county commissioners won’t even consent to a formal study to find out if selling the hospital is in the county taxpayers’ best interests. Many…

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Williamson County Commission Budget Committee Approves Plan To Expand Schools To Prevent Rezoning

Tennessee Star

The Williamson County Commission Budget Committee has approved plans to expand Page and Brentwood middle and high schools to keep students from being rezoned to other parts of the county. The committee voted 5-0 on Monday to approve the plan, which will go before the full commission next Monday, May 8, according to the Williamson Herald. Funds from a builders education impact fee that went into effect March 1 would be used toward debt service for the projects. The committee approved $4.9 million for the first phase of the Page expansion and $17.2 million for the Brentwood project, the Williamson Herald said. The total cost of the three phases of the Page expansion would be about $43 million. Parents have pressed for more funding, even starting a movement called Fund Our Schools, which has created a Facebook page and launched a petition drive. In Brentwood, there has been talk of pulling out of Williamson County Schools and forming a city school system to ensure Brentwood students stay in Brentwood schools. Candidates running in Tuesday’s city commission race addressed the topic at a debate last month, saying such a move now would be premature but might be something to consider in the future.…

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