A Taxing Judge

Sumner County Commissioners are on the way to creating a new judgeship in the county -- at a cost of nearly $1 million a year.  Funding the position would likely require a small tax increase (1 3/4 cents) and there are conflicting reports regarding its necessity.

Commissioner Chair Merrol Hyde, who won't support a tax increase of any kind, even for the schools he once led as Director, opposes the idea.  However, Commissioners Jerry Stone and Jim Vaughn, typically Hyde allies, are in favor of the move. They say the position is needed, though they have consistently opposed any sort of revenue increase or financial prioritization that would mean more funds for an overcrowded school system with more than 70 portable classrooms.

Creating the judgeship now would allow the County Commission to appoint a judge to fill the slot after September, 2014. That incumbent judge would then be placed on the ballot in the 2016 election.

Some have suggested that the Commission is rushing the decision in order to gain the appointment power and that at least one sitting County Commissioner is interested in being named to the seat. 

COMPASS Direction

It won't change all that much... Debra Maggart, now a Senior VP at lobbying firm CivicPoint, will remain in her role as Executive Director of COMPASS.  Only now, the non-profit that works to build partnerships between schools and businesses will be contracting out for "executive director services" and using Maggart's firm (and Maggart) to provide those services. 

The organization spends nearly 60% of funds raised on salary (Maggart is currently the only employee) and under the new arrangement, is seeking to add a part-time assistant, increasing its staff costs. 

The group spent just 26% of its revenue on grants and scholarships directly benefitting schools. 

County Commission Candidates 2014

From information provided by incumbent County Commission Baker Ring of Gallatin

2014 Elections, County Commission

First District:
Mike Akins (running)
Moe Taylor (running)

Second District:
Billy Geminden (running)
*Shawn Utley (not running)
...

running:
Jennifer Briley Anderson (running)
Larry Hinton (running)




Third District:
Steve Graves (running)
David Satterfield 
running:
Alan Driver


Fourth District:
*Joe Matthews (running for Circuit Court clerk) (not running for CC)

Frank E. Freels 

Fifth District:
Ben Harris (running)
Baker Ring (running)

Sixth District:
Jim Vaughn (running)
*Paige Brown Strong (not running)
Kevin Pomeroy

Seventh District:
*Trisha LeMarbre

Kirk Moser (running)
Eighth District:
Paul Decker (running)
Merrol Hyde (running)

Ninth District:
*Chris Hughes (not running)
*David Kimbrough (not running)
running:
Jerry Becker
Chris Taylor
Mark Nodini
Benjamin McCroskey


Tenth District:
Jo Skidmore (running)
Paul Goode (running)
running:
Caroline Shoemaker Krueger (running)


Eleventh District:
Paul Freels
Jerry Stone (running)

Twelfth District:
Bob Pospisil (running)
Michael Guthrie (running)


* denotes not running
bold deotes running again
italics denotes has voted against school funding in 2011-2012

Silverman Considers Challenge to Rogers in 45th House District

Republican Len Silverman of Hendersonville is considering a challenge to incumbent State Representative Courtney Rogers in the 45th House District.

Silverman owns a Huntington Learning Center franchise. He has also served on the Board of Directors for COMPASS, a foundation that helps raise funds for Sumner County Schools.  Until recently, COMPASS was headed-up by former State Representative Debra Maggart, who lost to Rogers in the 2012 Republican primary - a bitter battle involving thousands of dollars from outside special interest groups.

Watch out, Shipley's!

Donut competitors Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts may soon be in Hendersonville.

For a long, long, long time the place to get donuts in Hendersonville has been Shipley's.  Of course, there's also Thank God Donuts (on Walton Ferry).  But Shipley's is the standard.  Sure, you can get a donut at Wal-Mart or Kroger or Publix.  But why? Shipley's donuts are delicious and local. 

But you'd have to think that competition from Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme just might be a problem.  Or, maybe Hendersonville is growing fast enough to support both of these respected national chains and Shipley's?

Time will tell. 

Voucher Backers Hit Hendersonville

Supporters of a school voucher plan that failed to advance in last year's legislative session are pushing again for its adoption.  This time, they stopped in Hendersonville to make their case.

Under one proposal last year, only students in Memphis and Nashville would initially qualify for vouchers.  Other proposals, however, include students statewide.  Given the stop in Hendersonville and in other areas of the state, it seems advocates may be pushing a broader proposal in order to expand appeal for legislators.

The vouchers, or "opportunity scholarships" as they are called by proponents, would take the full BEP (state funding) and local allocation for a student and allow it to be used as tuition at an approved private school.  Under most versions of the proposal, the accepting school must accept the amount of the voucher as full tuition, no matter the actual tuition the school typically charges.

Around the state, school board members are expressing concern noting the potential impact on their budgets.

For example, in Sumner County, if 200 students accepted the vouchers, the district would lose roughly $1.5 million.  Unless those students all came from the same school, it's unlikely the loss of 200 students out of 28,000 would decrease the Board's cost of operating schools.  Given historically tight budget numbers, the Board would have to find some way to make up for the lost funds -- freezing salaries, for example or holding off again on the purchase of textbooks or technology. 

In a district already suffering from a County Commission unwilling to properly fund schools, a voucher plan could be another blow to plans to move toward excellent schools that benefit the entire community. 

Given the potential impact of vouchers, this proposal is one worth watching in the 2014 legislative session. 

Office Development Coming to "Rural" Stop 30 Area

Despite vocal opposition voiced by a number of residents of the area, the Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a new office building proposed by the Assemblies of God District Office.

The building will be built to resemble a Colonial-style home in order to blend in with the neighboring homes.

Residents expressed concern that this plan approval would set a precedent and lead to future office building development in the area, thus forever changing the rural, picturesque setting prized by those who live there.