Sumner County committee presses City of Gallatin for $907,000 parking garage contribution tied to storm-drain work

Sumner County Budget Committee members asked county staff and elected officials to seek a written agreement from the City of Gallatin clarifying the conditions under which the city will pay about $907,000 toward a downtown parking garage project.

Committee members said the county has not met a storm-drain requirement the city cites as a trigger for releasing the money. The committee asked the county mayor, the budget chair, the finance director and the county attorney to meet with Gallatin officials and to ask the city to put its expectations in writing, including a proposed memorandum of understanding stating what work must be done before payment.

Why it matters: The county previously appropriated about $907,000 as a city contribution; county staff said the city is withholding payment pending completion of a storm drain and certain electrical work connected to the garage. Committee members said that conditional withholding had not been documented in a formal agreement and asked for clarity.

Committee discussion included whether the storm-drain requirement was ever written down, how and when the county would complete the storm-drain work, and whether the county could withhold access to the garage or take other measures if the city did not pay. Some members called for an immediate, high-level meeting with city officials; others preferred a lower-profile staff meeting first. The committee also directed the county attorney to draft a proposed MOU so both sides can formally document expectations.

Next steps: The committee approved a motion to send a delegation to the City Council to seek an on‑the‑record answer about the outstanding payment and directed the county attorney to prepare draft language memorializing the required conditions for payment. The committee asked staff to attempt to place the item on the city council agenda and to return with a written response.