La Vergne’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen discussed a resolution on Thursday asking the U.S. Congress to appropriate funding for a new air traffic control tower at Smyrna Rutherford County Airport.

A board member said the existing tower dates to the 1940s and, though it has been upgraded over time, a new facility is now needed. He noted the airport authority — of which he is a member — has been coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration and that Representative Robert Stevens has advocated for the funding in Washington.

The resolution would ask La Vergne to join neighboring municipalities in formally requesting federal appropriations; a copy will also be sent to Representative Des Jarlais, who is reported to be pushing for the funding at the federal level. Board members framed the resolution as a show of regional support to strengthen the case for an appropriation but did not take a final vote at the workshop.

Next steps: the resolution was introduced for consideration and will proceed through the board’s regular agenda process.