Budget committee recommends $15 million for Rutherford County forensic center, sends measure to full commission

The Rutherford County Budget, Finance and Investment Committee voted 4-3 on March 6 to recommend that the full county commission fund construction of a forensic center at Weekly Lane and I Street, approving a financing plan that would tap restricted capital funds and portions of the county's unassigned fund balance.

The measure would authorize up to $15,000,000 for construction and site work and directs staff to forward the proposal to the full commission for final approval. Committee members who voted in favor said the center would reduce forensic case backlogs, shorten travel and turnaround time for county investigators, and could save the county hundreds of thousands annually compared with current out‑of‑county autopsy contracts.

Why it matters: Rutherford County currently sends autopsies and complex death investigations to out‑of‑county providers, primarily the Middle Tennessee Regional Forensic Center in Davidson County. Presenters and law‑enforcement leaders told commissioners that long waits, rising fees and limited storage capacity at regional providers have delayed investigations and increased overtime and transportation costs for sheriff's deputies and EMS personnel.

Eric Hennessy, chief of staff for the mayor's office, briefed the committee and introduced subject‑matter presenters. Denise Martin, death investigator instructor and supervisor for Rutherford County, said a Tennessee Department of Health feasibility study recommended adding at least one regional forensic center in Middle Tennessee and that county responsibility for medical‑legal death investigations rests at the county level. "It is a county responsibility to ensure that our deaths are being investigated appropriately and thoroughly," Martin said.

Brian Gaither, director of Rutherford County EMS, said EMS supervisors routinely perform death investigations because there is not 24‑hour local medical‑examiner coverage, and that the additional workload takes them away from emergency medical duties. "When they are investigating deaths for hours, it not only pulls them away from their primary duties, but also contributes to burnout and potential PTSD," Gaither said.

Bart Klein of Klein Sweeney Associates presented schematic designs and a site plan for the proposed facility. Klein said the project had been through a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) process and that the construction manager at risk (RC Matthews) submitted pricing; Klein stated the current not‑to‑exceed construction figure was $15,000,000 and that the design allows for future expansion.

Dr. Fang Li (Dr. Lee in the record), CEO and chief medical examiner for Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, described current regional capacity and charges. He said his office charges roughly $2,500 per autopsy and cited staffing and caseload pressures across regional centers. Martin and county staff said the county currently spends nearly $1,000,000 per year on vendor autopsy services and transport and that costs have risen with multiple mid‑year fee increases.

County finance director Michael Smith (presenter for budget analysis) and other staff outlined operating cost estimates and a preliminary staffing plan. Staff presented a conservative first‑year personnel estimate of roughly $700,000–$800,000 for initial hires (a contract forensic pathologist, forensic technicians, administrative staff and death investigators), and projected that, depending on interest rates and staffing choices, the center could be near break‑even versus current vendor costs within two years. Smith cautioned the committee that projections vary with interest rates, future autopsy volumes, and opportunities to serve neighboring counties.

Committee debate focused on timing, staffing and funding sources. Commissioner questions included whether the county had identified a forensic pathologist who could lead the operation, whether regional partners or educational institutions had been approached for financial commitments, and whether debt or fund‑balance draws should be used. Commissioners also discussed the role of the construction manager at risk and whether the Public Building Authority (PBA) should manage the project.

Captain Todd Sparks of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office described investigative impacts from delays he attributed to regional providers, including multi‑month waits for toxicology or autopsy findings in homicide and overdose cases. "The delay in communicating that information to us causes a significant delay in our investigation," Sparks told the committee, citing a three‑ to four‑month delay in at least one infant death investigation.

On the funding motion, county staff recommended a mix of restricted capital funds and unassigned fund balance: specifically, using about $4,750,000 set aside previously for an emergency transfer station, $671,390.31 from old development tax funds (eligible for the project), and approximately $9,578,609.69 from unassigned fund balance to reach the $15,000,000 request. The committee passed a motion to recommend the project to the full commission with that funding plan.

The committee vote was recorded by roll call: Commissioners Mark Gooch (yes), Commissioner Harris (yes), Commissioner Irvin (no), Commissioner Johnson (no), Commissioner Pearcey (yes), Commissioner Srinho (yes), Commissioner Peay (no). The motion passed 4–3.

What's next: The committee's recommendation proceeds to the full Rutherford County Commission for final action. The committee did not finalize operational contracts or hire a forensic pathologist; staff said hiring and operational decisions would follow construction approvals and that additional intergovernmental or institutional partnerships could be pursued during implementation.

Ending note: Supporters framed the center as a public‑safety and public‑health investment to reduce investigative delays and recurring vendor costs; opponents on the committee urged more certainty about long‑term staffing, concrete partnership commitments and timing before committing the county's reserves.