Assault at the Taj Mahal

County Commissioner Paul Goode claims he was assaulted by County Commissioner Merrol Hyde outside a recent meeting of the Sumner County Commission, according to a story in the Hendersonville Standard:

The simple assault allegation stems from a reported confrontation that took place between 10th District Commissioner Paul Goode and 8th District Commissioner Merrol Hyde inside the Sumner County Administration Building shortly after midnight on Tuesday, June 18.

Goode and Hyde have long been at odds, with the former Director of Schools (Hyde) resisting efforts to fund Sumner County Schools and other government entities with new revenue. Former Goode associate and former 45th District state representative Debra Maggart was also embroiled in the conflict between the two men at one time, attempting to push a different financial management scheme on the county by way of her position in the legislature.

It's not clear whether Goode will pursue prosecution or whether filing the report was just one more attempt to embarrass the already has-been Hyde.

What is clear is that the county is in the early stages of a potential financial crisis reminiscent of the one (led by Hyde's inaction) that caused the closing of Sumner County Schools in 2012.

Perhaps instead of bickering in the papers, Goode and Hyde could hold a WWE-style wrestling match and use the proceeds to fund volunteer fire departments?

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Langford Named County Commission Chair

The Sumner County Commission last night elected its leaders for the 2015-16 year.

The top leadership post, Chair of the County Commission, went to Scott Langford of Goodlettsville.

Langford on the job with 17 affirmative votes.

He will chair all future meetings and determine committee leadership.

For more on Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

County Commission Meets Tonight

The Sumner County Commission meets tonight at 7PM at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.

The meeting includes the election of a new General Sessions Judge.

Also on the agenda is the approval of the purchase of land that will be used to build a new school campus in the next 5 years or so. The purchase anticipates growth in the area of Sumner County between Hendersonville and Gallatin. Purchasing the land at 2015 prices will save taxpayers money and prevent the proliferation of portable tin cans as permanent classrooms.

While some oppose the purchase, arguing we don't need a new school right now, that line of thinking represents the old way of doing business in Sumner County. That is, the School Board and County Commission would wait until schools were overcrowded, add portables to campuses, and then purchase land at a premium. By the time a new school was built, it was already crowded.

Purchasing land for schools in advance is a practice undertaken by school systems such as Rutherford and Williamson County in order to get ahead of growth and ensure sufficient available land for schools in areas where it is needed.

While this type of forward-thinking leadership is new to Sumner County, it should not be rejected due to it being unfamiliar. Rather, taxpayers should embrace a conservative, financially responsible approach. Doing so will both save money and allow for managed growth.

Here's the full meeting agenda.

For more on what's happening in Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Taxpayers Assessed for Political Rant

Sumner County Property Assessor John Isbell, who came under fire last year for irregularities in the assessment process, is now using his taxpayer-funded website to advance his personal political agenda.

Isbell, who is up for re-election in 2016, has been fighting for his political life via social media under the auspices of the "Sumner Sentinel."

Now, he's taken his politics to his Assessor's Office website, which is paid for and maintained with public funds.

At the website sumnerassessor.org, Isbell explains the 2014 reappraisal process and notes:

 So why is a small group of pro tax increase bureaucrats led by Anthony Holt so driven to return to state-controlled property valuation in Sumner County? The answer is politics. Their intent is to manipulate the process to increase the assessment base thus increasing taxes on the citizens who are just now starting to recover from what many called the Great Recession of 2009.

A direct political attack on one of Isbell's detractors -- paid for by Sumner County taxpayers.

The disclaimer at the bottom of the page indicates the page is the property of Sumner County Government. That means it belongs to all taxpayers, not just Mr. Isbell.

Isbell continues his rant by referring to County Executive Anthony Holt simply as Anthony and unleashing a litany of attacks:

Anthony, in a recent meeting with the ladies of the Sumner County Republican Party, accepted full responsibility for the recent tax increase. "…I want you to know today, you can hold me responsible — hold me personally responsible. I do not want to shirk my responsibility." If Anthony accepts full responsibility for the tax increase why does he want to continue to try to blame the reappraisal process which has been validated as accurate and legal on three different occasions? Anthony will tell you that, in Sumner County, revenue-neutral means a tax increase. Unfortunately Anthony misunderstands the very basics of the reappraisal process and through his attempts to speak as an authority on the process only misinforms the public. Unfortunately Sumner County taxpayers have endured five months of uncertainty as Anthony held secret meetings, conspired with state bureaucrats, and wasted taxpayer dollars exceeding $100,000 to politically manipulate the process which resulted in his actions being grounded in general ignorance of the process. While the tax vote may be legal, it was certainly not conducted with any standards of transparency and ethical standing. Anthony stands as the self-appointed leader of this standard of transparency and ethical behavior for the new commission.

So, it's safe to say there's some bad blood between Isbell and Holt. But attacks like this belong on a political website paid for by a politicians supporters -- not on a publicly-funded, taxpayer supported site.

Isbell goes to great lengths on the public site to justify the recent assessment and his actions. He may have some valid arguments to make. The question is: Should John Isbell's political arguments be advanced by Sumner County taxpayers or John Isbell's supporters?

For more on news impacting Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews

Sumner County Tax Rate Comparison

In light of the recently adjusted Sumner County tax rate, here's a comparison of Sumner County's rate of $2.50 per $100 of assessed value relative to other counties in Middle Tennessee:

Sumner:             $2.50

Cheatham:         $2.78

Montgomery:    $3.14

Robertson:        $2.96

Rutherford:       $2.56

Wilson:             $2.57