Williamson County asks state lawmakers to let sale proceeds return to county oversight; debate over independent counsel continues

The Williamson County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to ask the Tennessee General Assembly to carve out a local exception allowing proceeds from a possible sale of Williamson Health to be returned to county oversight rather than routed automatically to a private foundation. The board also provisionally approved a temporary outside counsel engagement at $900 an hour to advise the county on potential transactions.

Commissioner Greg Lawrence, a lead sponsor of the measure, said taxpayers own much of the hospital’s physical plant and deserve a say if proceeds from any sale could be diverted away from county oversight. "If the county owned property sells, do those proceeds come back to the county, the taxpayers' representatives, or does it go to a private foundation whose board is unelected and unaccountable?" he asked.

Williamson Health CEO Phil Mazuca, who addressed the commission earlier in the meeting, said the hospital board was still in an information‑gathering phase and was not close to a decision. "If the Williamson Health Board of Trustees concludes that a sale is the correct path forward, the county commission must approve any transaction," Mazuca said, adding the board would "follow the law" and that the hospital was exploring options ranging from remaining independent to changing ownership.

The county’s move asks state lawmakers either to pass a private act applying only to Williamson County or to amend state law that currently limits local government use of hospital sale proceeds. The commission’s resolution cites a 2012 statute preventing proceeds from being returned to counties except to pay legal obligations. Commissioners said they had worked with state legislators, and sponsors said they had assurance a local senator would carry the measure if the county passed the request with a supermajority.

The vote followed intense debate over legal conflicts. Commissioner Chris Richards raised concerns that existing counsel representing both the county and Williamson Health posed a conflict; other commissioners said the clients had provided waivers and that the mayor had statutory authority to retain counsel. After extended floor debate, the commission approved the hourly rate for outside counsel and a temporary engagement to be revisited in January (voice vote recorded as 22–1 in favor of approving the rate). The formal resolution asking the legislature passed later in the meeting (17–6), a vote the sponsors characterized as a mandate to ask lawmakers to restore options for elected oversight.

The commission paused a separate, related resolution earlier in the meeting after sponsors agreed to withdraw and rework some language. The board agreed to seek additional legal and procedural clarifications from the newly engaged counsel and to schedule follow‑up briefings for commissioners.

What’s next: The county’s request will be transmitted to the Williamson County delegation in the Tennessee General Assembly for consideration; the commission said it would review recommendations from its new temporary counsel at a January meeting before deciding whether to pursue further action or adopt permanent representation.

At a glance: Resolution requesting private act or statute amendment (11‑25‑33) passed 17–6; temporary outside counsel rate ($900/hour) approved 22–1; related resolution to formalize commission independent counsel was pulled for revision.