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Trousdale County authorizes mayor to sign TDOC contract after hours of debate over CoreCivic ties
Summary
After extended public comment and commissioner debate about county exposure to CoreCivic costs, the Trousdale County Commission voted 16–1 to authorize the mayor to execute a Tennessee Department of Corrections contract that preserves state funding for the local correctional facility.
Trousdale County commissioners voted 16–1 to authorize the county mayor to execute a five‑year contract with the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC), a move the county’s attorney said was needed to keep state funding flowing past June 30.
The measure followed hours of discussion in which commissioners, staff and a string of public speakers pressed for written guarantees, contract edits and clarity about how the county’s separate agreement with CoreCivic would interact with the TDOC arrangement. County attorney Mr. Biller told commissioners that ‘‘your funding gets cut off on June the 30th’’ if the TDOC contract is not signed, and that the TDOC agreement is a standard statewide form used for privately operated facilities.
Commissioner David, who moved to authorize the mayor, framed the choice as pragmatic: if the county did not sign the TDOC contract, ‘‘we are now responsible for the full boat of the contract with CoreCivic and get no money from the state,’’ leaving the county to cover operational costs. Commissioner Judy and others said continued negotiations with CoreCivic could yield addenda that shift transport and EMS costs away from the county.
Several members of the public urged caution. Tim Leaper, whose son died at the local facility in 2023, warned that ‘‘if the TDOC takes this prison back . . . what does that look like for you guys?’’ and asked how the county would replace lost revenue or jobs. Malicious Lamb and Carla Willie Atkins urged commissioners to require written, enforceable changes, not informal assurances: ‘‘Promises are made in writing,’’ one commenter said.
County negotiators and advisers said some changes have been secured informally and that CoreCivic has made operational adjustments, including a reduction in population and a commitment to body cameras; the county has not yet received all requested written commitments. Mark Beeler, who has worked on contract addenda, said specific operational costs (inmate transport and EMS calls) ‘‘could be pushed either totally to CoreCivic to assume . . . or you could request . . . reimbursement at a fair and equitable rate.’’
The commission’s authorization does not finalize a separate negotiated contract with CoreCivic, which commissioners said remains under active negotiation. The roll call on the TDOC authorization registered 16 yes, 1 no, and 3 absent.
Next steps: county staff and the advisory committee said they will continue negotiating CoreCivic addenda and seek more durable, written protections where possible; legal counsel indicated TDOC will remain the controlling contract for state placement and funding. The commission did not set a further public meeting date on the CoreCivic contract during this session.
