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Happening This Week
Early voting begins Wednesday, October 14
Eight sites across the county, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., through October 29.
Any registered Williamson County voter can use any site.
Early voting sites and hours
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Welcome
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October brings a ballot, a big zoning decision in Arrington, a full slate of county business, and in our house, a brand-new granddaughter. It is a lot to keep up with, and I am glad to keep sorting through it with you.
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As always, my aim is the same: share what I can verify, point you to the source documents, and let you reach your own conclusions.
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What's Inside
01 A Note From Mary
A new granddaughter and a fresh perspective
02 Your Vote
Early voting, the Republican ticket, three amendments, and two ways to help
03 Arrington Village
The Planning Commission sets a two-story limit
04 Before the County
What was on the October 12 agenda, and where to show up next
05 Williamson Health
Where things stand after the September vote
06 Community
Oak Cottage, Davis House, PumpkinFest, and neighbors
07 Getting Back to Basics
John Adams and Thoughts on Government, 250 years on
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A Little Bigger, A Lot More Grateful
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Wade and I are overjoyed to share that our family has grown. On 10/3/2026 , we welcomed our first granddaughter, Briella Mary Jean Stinson, born to Aubrianna and Overton. Mom and baby are doing well, and Marmy and Pappy have not stopped smiling.
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A different kind of perspective
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There is something about holding a newborn that rearranges your priorities in about thirty seconds. You find yourself thinking less about the next meeting and more about the community she will grow up in. Will her schools be strong? Will her corner of the county still feel like home? Will the people making decisions on her behalf listen first?
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Those are the same questions that drew me into public service in the first place. They are also why I still read the agendas, still show up to hearings, and still put this newsletter together each month.
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This month that means a ballot, a zoning decision in Arrington, and more than $56 million in new county borrowing for schools, parks and public safety. None of it is as exciting as a new grandbaby, but all of it will shape the county she inherits.
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“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
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Thank you for letting me share a little of our joy with you.
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Yours Forever In Service,
Mary
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Early Voting Runs October 14 to 29
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Where to go, who is on the ballot, and three amendments worth reading before you get there.
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Any registered Williamson County voter can vote early at any of eight sites, no matter where you live in the county. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
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Hours: Weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturdays, October 17 and 24, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Closed Sundays.
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- College Grove Community Center
8607 Horton Hwy., College Grove
- Election Commission Office
405 Downs Blvd., Franklin
- Fairview Recreation Center
2714 Fairview Blvd., Fairview
- Franklin Recreation Complex
1120 Hillsboro Rd., Franklin
- Grace Church at Franklin
4052 Arno Rd., Franklin
- John P. Holt Brentwood Library
8109 Concord Rd., Brentwood
- Longview Recreation Center
2909 Commonwealth Dr., Spring Hill
- Nolensville Recreation Center
7250 Nolensville Rd., Nolensville
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Did You Know?
Tennessee requires a state or federal photo ID to vote, even if it is expired. If you registered online or by mail and are voting for the first time, bring proof of your address. Absentee ballot requests must reach the Election Commission by Saturday, October 24.
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The Republican ticket
Which U.S. House and state legislative races you see depends on where you live, so check your sample ballot.
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- Governor of Tennessee
Marsha Blackburn
- U.S. Senate
Bill Hagerty (incumbent)
- U.S. House, District 5
Charlie Hatcher
- U.S. House, District 9
Brent Taylor
- TN Senate, District 27
Jack Johnson (Senate Majority Leader)
- TN House, District 61
Gino Bulso (incumbent)
- TN House, District 63
Jake McCalmon (incumbent)
- TN House, District 65
Lee Reeves (incumbent)
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Municipal races, including Fairview mayor, will appear on some ballots too.
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Don't skip the bottom of the ballot
Three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution will appear:
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- No state property tax. A permanent ban on a state-level property tax.
- Bail. Allowing a person accused of a capital offense, terrorism, second-degree murder, aggravated rape or grave torture to be held without bail before trial.
- Victims' rights. Adding crime victims' rights to the Constitution, including the right to be heard in criminal proceedings and reasonable protection from harassment and intimidation.
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Read the official language on the Election Commission page before you go. A marked-up sample ballot makes the booth go a lot faster.
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Two ways to help this election
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There are two very different ways to give your time this fall, and it is worth knowing which is which. One is a nonpartisan job running the election itself. The other is volunteering to support our Republican nominees.
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Serve as a Poll Official
The Williamson County Election Commission still needs Poll Officials for the November 3 election. It is a full 12-hour day on Election Day, with compensation of about $160, or you may waive your pay as an act of community service. Poll Officials are nonpartisan and keep the process fair for every voter.
Poll Worker Application
Fill out the above application or call (615) 790-5711 to sign up.
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Volunteer to Get Out the Vote
The Williamson County Republican Party needs help supporting our nominees: poll greeters and sign holders, postcard writers, call bankers and more.
Go to Volunteer Sign Up to help out.
Every hour you give makes a difference.
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On October 8, the Regional Planning Commission recommended approval of the new Arrington Village zoning district and set a two-story maximum for buildings, down from the three stories in the draft. The proposal now goes to the County Commission, which will hold its own public hearing before a final vote.
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What the Proposal Would Do
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- Height. Two stories maximum, as set by the Planning Commission.
- No longer allowed. Apartments, bars and taverns, liquor stores, warehouses and golf courses, all permitted under today's Hamlet zoning.
- Newly allowed. Uses such as family subdivisions, assisted living and athletic facilities.
- Density. Unchanged at two units per acre.
- Design. New standards for parking placement, sidewalks and greenways, and building orientation to soften the visual impact.
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Many residents have asked the county to keep Arrington a hamlet. The case for the new district is that existing Hamlet zoning still allows uses like apartments. Both deserve a careful hearing, and the flooding and stormwater questions neighbors have raised should be answered on the record before the final vote.
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I want to thank Mike Matteson and the Planning Department, who have kept the advisory committee and the public informed throughout, and the Arrington neighbors who keep showing up. That is exactly how this process is supposed to work.
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What You Can Do
Watch the county calendar for the County Commission hearing date. Read the plan and draft regulations, and send questions to the Planning Department at (615) 790-5725.
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What Was on the October 12 Agenda
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$56.8 million in new borrowing, and what it adds up to.
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The headlines go to the big votes, but the regular monthly agenda is where most of the county's money moves. Here are the October 12 items worth your attention. Final votes were not posted when this went out; check the minutes or WC-TV for outcomes.
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RESOLUTION 10-26-25 | UP TO $25.5 MILLION
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Bonds for design, construction and renovation of county K-8 school facilities
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RESOLUTION 10-26-26 | UP TO $31.3 MILLION
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Bonds for College Grove Park, public safety facilities, parks and county high schools, sold alongside about $112.5 million already approved for the jail, juvenile justice and judicial facilities and courthouse land
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RESOLUTION 10-26-18 | $3,367,130
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15 general education and 4 special education replacement buses, paid from school fund balance
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RESOLUTION 10-26-27 | NO COST
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Rezones about 837 acres of farmland de-annexed by Franklin from RP-5 to MGA-5, at the owners' request; density stays at one home per five acres
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Why It Matters
Once these new bonds are issued, total county debt will be over $1.3 billion. That is before a new courthouse, a sheriff's office or additional schools are even considered.
Schools, parks and public safety are worthy purposes, and every one of these bonds is repaid through property taxes over as long as 20 years. Bond votes deserve the same attention as the headlines, because they shape your tax bill long after the news cycle moves on.
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Where to show up next
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Schedules change, so check the county calendar before you drive over.
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Thursday, October 22 | 6:00 p.m.
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Executive Conference Room, Administrative Complex. Variances and appeals of zoning decisions.
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Monday, November 9 | 6:00 p.m.
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County Commission, regular monthly meeting
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Auditorium, Administrative Complex. Televised on WC-TV.
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Thursday, November 12 | 5:30 p.m.
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Main Auditorium, Administrative Complex. Rezonings, subdivisions and site plans start here.
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The Letter Is Signed. The Clock Is Running.
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What happened after the September 9 vote, and what to watch next.
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The vote. On September 9, the Commission approved the non-binding Letter of Intent with Ascension Saint Thomas, 19 to 5. A second resolution, SS 9-26-02, passed unanimously. It opts the county out of the state rule that hospital sale proceeds be set aside for residents' health and welfare, so the elected Commission, rather than a separate trust, will decide how the money is used.
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The consultant. Five days later, on September 14, the resolution to hire an independent health care transaction consultant came back before the Commission and was tabled again.
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The window. Exclusive negotiations run 120 days, into early January, with two optional 30-day extensions. If no agreement is reached, the county can walk away.
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The next vote. A definitive agreement must come back for separate approval by both the Williamson Health Board of Trustees and the County Commission. Until then, Williamson Health remains county-owned.
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What I Am Watching
The questions in last month's Due Diligence Tracker have not gone away. They now have a deadline. Every one of them has to be answered in the definitive agreement, because that is the only document Ascension can be held to.
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If this matters to you, the most useful thing you can do between now and January is keep telling your Commissioners what you expect to see in writing. Commissioners@williamsoncounty-tn.gov
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I served as a County Commissioner through August 31 and no longer hold a vote on this. I am sharing what I could verify so residents can reach their own conclusions.
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Ways to Show Up in October
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Fall is full. Here is what is on my calendar and a few things worth putting on yours. Double check times and tickets with each organizer before you go.
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Fish Fry, benefiting Oak Cottage for Women
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October 24th from 11;00am to 1:00pm. Oak Cottage for Women is a Christian nonprofit here in Williamson County that provides safe housing and support for women re-entering society after incarceration. Along with a home, they help with rides to work and parole meetings, job skills, and connecting with employers who will give someone a second chance. Tickets are $25. I already have ours and hope to see you there.
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Remember the Titans, benefiting Davis House
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111 Motorcars, Franklin. Former Titans Kevin Dyson, Derrick Mason and Brad Hopkins share stories in a relaxed, tailgate-style panel, with every dollar going to Davis House Child Advocacy Center. General admission $100; a limited number of VIP tickets $250. If you read about the Button Ball in August, you know why this work matters.
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FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 & 25th
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Downtown Franklin. Now in its 41st year, PumpkinFest stretches to two days this fall. Find details here.
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What a night at The Grove on September 24. The Boot Bash raised $73,615 for Memories of Honor, and with gifts still coming in, it is on track to pass its $75,000 goal. Every dollar cares for the Boots of Honor Memorial: nearly 8,000 combat boots, each one a service member we have lost, most of them since 9/11.
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Thank you to Amy Cotta and the Memories of Honor board, committee and volunteers. Most of all, thank you to the Gold Star families who share their loved ones' stories. As Brooks Herring put it that night, “Time doesn't heal. It just leaves a scar.” This memorial makes sure no one carries that scar alone.
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Have something coming up that neighbors should know about? Reply and I will do my best to include it next month.
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Thoughts on Government, 250 Years On
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In the spring of 1776, delegates from North Carolina to the Continental Congress asked John Adams how a new state government ought to be built. He wrote out his answer by hand, and in April the Philadelphia printer John Dunlap, who had first published Paine's Common Sense that January, printed it as a pamphlet: Thoughts on Government, Applicable to the Present State of the American Colonies. Its ideas helped shape the first constitutions of several states, including North Carolina, Virginia and Adams's own Massachusetts. Where Paine argued for independence, Adams took up the next question: once we are free, how do we govern ourselves well? Three passages feel especially timely this month.
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“Upon this point all speculative politicians will agree, that the happiness of society is the end of government.”
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JOHN ADAMS, THOUGHTS ON GOVERNMENT, 1776
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Adams opens by saying we should settle what government is for before we argue about what form it should take. That is a useful test to carry into the voting booth. Not which candidate is louder, but which one keeps the purpose in view.
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“The very definition of a Republic, is ‘an Empire of Laws, and not of Men.’”
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JOHN ADAMS, THOUGHTS ON GOVERNMENT, 1776
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Adams borrowed that phrase from the English writer James Harrington, and he built his whole plan around it: a government whose power comes from written, impartial laws rather than from the goodwill of whoever holds office. It is the same lesson running through this newsletter. In Arrington, what protects the community is the zoning text, not anyone's assurances. With Williamson Health, what binds the buyer is the definitive agreement, not the proposal. Good people come and go. The words on paper stay.
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“Laws for the liberal education of youth, especially of the lower class of people, are so extremely wise and useful, that to a humane and generous mind, no expence for this purpose would be thought extravagant.”
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JOHN ADAMS, THOUGHTS ON GOVERNMENT, 1776
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Adams saw public education as something a free people should be willing to pay for. This month the Commission considered $25.5 million for K-8 schools and more for high schools. Adams would not call that extravagant. In the same pamphlet he also insisted that public officials stay answerable to the people through frequent elections, so it is fair to expect both: generosity toward our schools, and accountability for how the money is spent.
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Read It For Yourself
Thoughts on Government is in the public domain and runs only a few pages. The full 1776 text is free at Founders Online, from the National Archives. The quotes above keep Adams's original spelling and capitalization. It was published as a letter “from a gentleman to his friend,” and it still reads that way.
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The Next Generation Is Watching
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A new grandbaby has a way of reminding you that the choices we make today belong to someone else tomorrow. A ballot cast early, a long day at the polls, a public hearing in Arrington, a question asked about a bond issue. None of it feels big in the moment, and all of it adds up to the county she will inherit.
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Please vote early if you can, take a friend with you, and keep asking good questions. Thank you for reading and for caring about this county the way you do.
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God bless you and your family, and God bless Williamson County.
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"Act Justly, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly" - Micah 6:8
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