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Cheatham County Commission approves multiple budget and school funding measures, denies rezoning and opts into landfill-approval law
Summary
At its Oct. 20 meeting in Ashland City, the Cheatham County Commission approved several budget amendments including ARPA public-utility spending, authorized school debt and design-phase funds for facilities, accepted a construction bid for Sycamore Square, approved ethics committee appointees, voted to opt into state landfill-approval law (Jackson Law), and denied a rezoning request for property owned by Adam Prophet.
The Cheatham County Commission met Oct. 20, 2025, in Ashland City and approved a package of fiscal and administrative measures while denying a requested rezoning and voting to opt into state landfill-approval authority.
The commission voted to deny an application from Adam Prophet to rezone Tract 67 from Agriculture to RO1. Miss Lowell moved to deny the rezone and Mister Evans seconded; a roll-call vote recorded 12 yes, 0 no and the motion carried, ending the public hearing after no members of the public spoke on the item.
On financial measures, the commission approved several budget amendments covering county general government and project needs. Notable votes included approvals for general fund adjustments (including a $40,188.43 jail item and several other general-government allocations) and American Rescue Plan Act-funded public-utility projects totaling $481,841.33; county roll calls recorded the motions as carried. The record identifies the ARPA funding source as an ARPA grant revenue line.
The commission also approved highway capital outlay ($110,000, funded from highway fund balance) and other capital projects including an $8,600 contribution tied to opioid settlement funds for jail-related contributions; those motions were reported as carried.
Education and school-related borrowing received substantial action. The commission approved education appropriations for regular instruction programs ($921,000 and $349,000 line items) and a $37,000 amendment for extended-school programming and daycare services. The board approved an interfund capital outlay note request from education debt service not to exceed $3,779,982 to fund school HVAC replacement; the school board vote was reported as 6–0 and the county budget vote recorded 12–0 in the minutes. Separately, the commission approved a design-phase capital outlay note request of up to $350,000 for a school maintenance and technology building; commissioners and staff discussed the building’s estimated full construction cost during the debate (discussion referenced figures around $7 million and up to $12 million) and clarified that the $350,000 request covers design work and related expenses, with any construction spending to return for later approval.
On procurement and local projects, the commission accepted a recommended bid from MDI Construction among eight bidders for work at Sycamore Square and authorized moving forward with a contract subject to county-attorney review. The chair and administration also asked that the county attorney be allowed to finalize contract terms to avoid delaying work for another month.
The mayor’s nominations to the county ethics committee — including Tim Williamson, Chris Gilmore, Brenda Montgomery, Eugene Evans and Abby Short — were confirmed by the commission in a single roll-call vote.
In an environmental policy move, Commissioner Bly introduced and the commission adopted a resolution to opt Cheatham County into the state law often described in the minutes as the 'Jackson Law.' Supporters said the resolution would require local commission approval for new landfills or expansions in the county or within one mile of a city’s jurisdiction, supplementing state permitting through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The motion passed on a roll-call vote recorded as 12 yes, 0 no.
Other business included recognition of long-serving highway department employees, a UT Extension report on 4‑H and youth programs, a Chamber of Commerce update, committee reports (including Beer Board permits), and a roads-and-bridge motion to lower speed limits on four rural roads from 45/40 mph to 35 mph; that traffic-safety motion carried. The meeting closed after announcements about Veterans Day events and scheduling for jail-committee follow-up.
The minutes show multiple roll-call tallies across items; where the record gave both committee-level tallies and full roll-call figures the article reports the commission’s final roll-call outcome as recorded. Several motions were described as 'motion carries' after unanimous or near-unanimous roll calls. The meeting packet and staff presentations identified funding sources for many votes (general fund balances, highway fund balance, education debt service proceeds, opioid settlement funds and ARPA grant revenue).
