Recently, current and former Mayors of Franklin, as well as County Mayor Rogers Anderson and former County Executive Robert Ring, came together to discuss the city’s growth since the 1980s as part of the quarterly Franklin Tomorrow Mayor’s Breakfast. At that time, many of the things we take for granted today had not even been contemplated. There was no Cool Springs, no General Motors plant in Spring Hill, and no Mack Hatcher Parkway.
“All the successes we have are built on good foundation from leadership in the early days [of growth],” said County Mayor Rogers Anderson.
Robert Ring, who served as County Executive for 16 years beginning in 1982, remembers the area as being very different. When he came on board, the county still had a rural form of government, but it was becoming urban. He knew things had to change. One thing he perceived was that the county would not be able to build the great school system they needed to move forward with just property taxes for support.
“I liken that to a one-legged table,” said Ring, “it has to be a huge leg to support the table.” And people would not be able to afford the property taxes necessary to be that big leg. So, the first step was to create a privilege tax to expand the tax base.
A number of citizens groups tried to get then-governor Ned McWherter to veto the tax, but it passed anyway. This was what Ring describes as the second leg of the table. Next came the taxes generated by Cool Springs Mall after it opened on August 7, 1991.
Much of the money from these taxes were pumped into creating more and better schools. Which in turn helped Franklin lure corporate headquarters to the Cool Springs area, the first being Primus Auto. Having these corporate headquarters became the fourth leg of the table.
John Schroer, who was Franklin’s mayor from 2007 until 2011 helped get Mack Hatcher moving along, brought in Frank L. Snowden to be Director of Franklin Special School District, and lured Eric Stuckey to Franklin from Cincinnati all with the vision to improve the professionalism of the management of the city. He also worked on the development of a capital improvement plan and financial policies.
“I didn’t want to be mayor,” said Schroer, “but I didn’t feel that it was being led the way it should be led. I am a change agent. I want to put my stamp on what I do. I didn’t want it to be run the way it was.” The community agreed, electing a new mayor and new aldermen who had the desire to build on what was done by those before them, but with the goal to make it better.
Former Franklin Mayor Jerry Sharber held the position from 1989 until 2003. He remembered what was then called “the mall brawl.” There was much concern over placing malls in the southern part of Brentwood and the Northern part of Franklin. Rumors were swirling that about four different malls were going to be built in the area, but that didn’t happen. Instead, CBL out of Chattanooga built the mall that is there today. On the day they broke ground, it was forecast that they would open the new mall one year later. And that is what they did.
“Governor McWherter was there,” said Sharber, “so was Miss Tennessee. Then as far as the eye could see there were women, a few men, but mostly women. I knew at that moment that the mall was going to be a success.”
It was Franklin’s only female mayor, Lillian Stewart, who was instrumental in giving the city the look and feel that it has today. She worked toward improving the streetscape of the city and preserving the sense of history through comprehensive land-use planning. And she was involved in the creation of the impact fee.
“Quality costs money,” said Stewart. “I wanted to keep Franklin’s idyllic quality of life, and create policies that were good for everyone. All cultures and walks of life.”
Like Anderson, current Franklin mayor Ken Moore appreciates the legacy of past mayors. “It is this [past] leadership that makes [Franklin] one of the best places to live, work, and raise our families.”
