WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A proposal to improve roads and infrastructure without raising taxes. It may sound too good to be true, but Williamson County leaders think they can get the support.
They are banking on a unifying force among Tennesseans: traffic headaches, congested roads and infrastructure woes.
“The time it takes folks to get from point a to point B has increased,” said Nathan Zipper, chief economic development officer at Williamson, Inc. “If you’ve ever complained about traffic in Williamson County, and you probably have, this project is for you.”
No, it's not another road project. It's a petition and a proposal.
Williamson County leaders have an idea to balloon their budget for road projects without raising taxes. However, they're going to need help from up the hill.
Currently, the state collects 37 cents per $100 of revenue from the real estate transfer tax. But if that’s to change so counties can collect, legislators first need a bill to consider.
“I haven’t seen a bill. I heard this morning. There’s a bill coming,” said Rep. Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill.
He said he won't author the bill Warner says it's something he supports.
“Anytime we can send money back to our district, I am more for local control than I am for state control,” said Warner.
Williamson County leaders propose legislators allow counties to keep half of the taxes collected from real estate transfers.
For Williamson County that could mean $14 million a year to launch road projects like widening Interstate 65 and improving the Moores Lane interchange.
I asked what that would mean for counties that would see much less than $14 million a year.
“Most counties are experiencing growth, and it could be spread pretty even,” said Warner.
“At least 10 people in all of those counties can connect their paycheck back to a Williamson County company,” said Zipper. “So when we talk about what happens here, it impacts not only our county and the Midstate, but it impacts the entire state.”
Now it's just an idea.
But with enough signatures, it could see its time on the hill.
So far, there are more than 100 signatures on the petition after only 48 hours.
Williamson County leaders hope to get 2,000 signatures to present to state lawmakers after the new year.
