Brentwood Commission OKs Sales Tax Plan, School District Study

BRENTWOOD, TN — Brentwood's City Commission approved a plan Monday that would raise the city's sales tax rate and share half the revenue with the county school district. The sales tax increase must still be approved by the city's voters in a referendum, Franklin, Nolensville and Spring Hill's leaders already OKed the idea, with Thompson's Station due to vote next week. Fairview is exempt because the city is already at the maximum allowable sales tax rate.

At the same meeting, the commission voted to fund a feasibility study for creating its own, city-run school district. The Brent-xit idea was first floated by long-time city commissioner Grady Little in April, but picked up steam as the county continues its struggle to find a long-term funding solution for its rapidly growing and immensely successful school district.

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At a July meeting of the commission, residents expressed concern that the county would have no choice but to raise property taxes to fund schools, which they argued would disproportionately hit Brentwood residents harder because of the city's higher property values and that there's a gap between what Brentwood pays in property taxes and what it receives from Williamson County Schools.

Williamson County Schools are regularly ranked the top public school district in Tennessee and at the top or near the top of rankings of school districts its size nationally. The two high schools in the city, Brentwood and Ravenwood, were ranked as the fifth and sixth best high schools in Tennessee, respectively, in the latest US News rankings, behind only academic magnets. Williamson County has the lowest county property tax in Middle Tennessee and the lowest of any county in the state of 100,000 people or more.

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The feasibility study could cost as much as $150,000, city manager Kirk Bednar told the commission. The lone vote of dissent came from Betty Crossley.

As for the sales tax plan, Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson said it could generate as much as $60 million countywide.

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