Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson is set to deliver his annual state of the county address during Williamson, Inc.’s July 21 membership meeting.
Currently serving his fourth term as mayor, Anderson will give an overview of how the county is performing on economic indicators such as financial health, education, public safety, transportation and job growth.
The meeting, presented by Williamson Medical Center, will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, 700 Cool Springs Blvd. East, and is expected to draw a sold-out crowd of more than 300 attendees.
Expect from Anderson an update on the county budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year. The Williamson County Commission will vote at its July 13 meeting on the $472.8 million budget proposal, which is about a 7 percent increase from last year’s $441 million budget despite no tax hike.
“Our goal was not to have a tax increase, and we will not have a tax increase,” Anderson said at Williamson, Inc.’s public affairs roundtable in May.
The largest portion of the county’s budget—about 61 percent—will go to Williamson County Schools, with a 2015-16 proposed operation budget of $290.4 million. This includes a recently approved five percent pay raise for all school district employees.
With high-performing schools, a thriving business community, an influx of new residents and jobs and a steady rise in home sales, Williamson County continues to be the fastest growing county in Tennessee and, just in the past month, has been in the national spotlight for its high quality of life.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked Williamson County among the nation’s top five counties for its 6.1 percent job growth, and NerdWallet ranked Brentwood and Franklin among the top 10 places in Tennessee to start a business. Now with a population of more than 201,000, the county is projected to surpass the population of Chattanooga-Hamilton County by 2040, according to Williamson, Inc.’s 2015 Trends Report.
Anderson will highlight ways in which the county is addressing growth issues, with nods to the new public safety center projected to open in summer 2016, the construction of new schools in Nolensville and a local transit summit tentatively planned for September that aims to tackle transportation problems.
To be among the first to hear Mayor Anderson’s plan for the coming year, reserve a seat at www.williamsonchamber.com. The cost is $35 for members and $55 for non-members. Companies can reserve a table of 10 for $500. A $5 late fee will be added after noon on Friday, July 17. Contact [email protected] for more information.
More Business News
