Cannon County commissioners approve support for SR‑1 corridor study after split vote

Cannon County Board of Commissioners voted 4‑3 to approve Resolution 2025‑15, signaling county support for a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) transportation planning grant application for an SR‑1 (Woodbury) corridor study.

The motion, described by staff as a request to support a grant that could be up to $150,000 for a corridor study, passed after a roll‑call vote in which Nathan Sanders voted no; Randy Gannon and Crystal Alexander voted no; and Judy Shawn, Eddie Mears, Brent Brandon and Tony Burnett voted yes. Commissioners debated the level of local commitment required and whether the city of Woodbury would share the county’s 10% match.

Supporters said the study would help identify ways to address persistent traffic congestion in Woodbury and that TDOT requested local buy‑in to move forward. "It's a grant, really... up to a $150,000 grant," a county official said when introducing the item. Commissioners noted the local match requirement is 10 percent; county discussion referenced a county share of roughly $77,500 during the meeting and multiple speakers said Woodbury had been asked to contribute toward that match.

Opponents argued the county should secure firm assurances of city participation or further examine budget implications before committing. One commissioner said the county should attempt to have the city pay half of the 10 percent match, but others warned that delaying could cause the county to miss the application deadline. Commissioners discussed the option of calling a special meeting if the city declined and the application deadline approached.

The commission recorded practical steps for budget and process: if the county proceeds without the city, staff said a special call of the commission could still be used before the TDOT deadline to respond to final details. The motion passed 4‑3.

The resolution references a transportation planning grant for an SR‑1 corridor study and the county’s willingness to participate in the local match; specific grant award amounts, the city of Woodbury’s final decision on its share of the match, and the application deadline were discussed but not finalized during the meeting.