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Developers and residents oppose Cheatham County development-fee increase; commission rejects rescind motion
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Summary
At a July 15 meeting in Ashland City, dozens of residents and developers urged the county to delay or scale back a proposed development and impact fee increase. The Legislative Body voted down a motion to rescind the recent resolution on the development tax and agreed to a committee meeting with developers on Aug. 1.
ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. — Dozens of residents, Realtors and developers pressed the Cheatham County Legislative Body on July 15 to reconsider a proposed increase in development and impact fees, saying they received insufficient notice and that any increase should be phased or reduced.
Speakers during the public forum included Misty Keenan, director of the Chamber of Commerce, developers Sam Green and Ricky Reda, Pleasant View building commissioner Mark Goins, Pleasant View Mayor Perry Keenan and other residents. Many urged a smaller, gradual increase and more advance notice to affected property owners and builders.
The county’s leadership debated whether to rescind Resolution 10, adopted June 24, 2019, which amends the rate of the Cheatham County development tax under Chapter No. 28, Private Acts 1997 of the 100th General Assembly of the State of Tennessee (as amended). County Mayor Kerry McCarver presented the rescind motion; it was moved by Gary Binkley and seconded by David Anderson but failed on a roll-call vote, 4 Yes to 8 No. A later motion by Chris Gilmore, seconded by Connie Mayo to rescind for the purpose of reconsideration also failed on a 6‑Yes to 6‑No roll-call vote.
Commissioners discussed an amendment that would have set a later effective date (March 1, 2020) for the revised fee schedule; that motion and second were withdrawn. Following the votes, the Business Development Committee agreed to meet with developers on Aug. 1, 2019 at 6:00 P.M. in the David McCullough Community Room to continue the conversation. Commissioner Tim Williamson asked that the mayor advertise the upcoming meeting in the local paper.
The meeting record shows a mix of positions among commissioners: some supported rescission or a delayed effective date; others voted to retain the June resolution. The transcript does not record any formal compromise adopted that night beyond scheduling the August 1 committee meeting.
The next procedural step is the Business Development Committee meeting on Aug. 1, where developers and county staff are expected to discuss possible changes to the development-tax schedule and notice procedures.