Sumner County Mayor Speaks Out on Commission, School District Disputes

‘Tone down the rhetoric’: Sumner County mayor addresses disputes between commission and school district

SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — As debates continue between the county commission and the school district, the mayor of Sumner County asked everyone to “tone down the rhetoric.”

Mayor John Isbell hopes some common ground can be found with new voices and new ideals on the commission.

Previously, the commission and schools had failed to reach an agreement on a new school budget, which in turn put teacher pay rises and the renovation of three school football stadiums at risk.

PREVIOUS | Sumner County Schools, County Commission in Dispute Over Park Plans

Now, both sides are at odds over a planned memorial park near Liberty Creek High School, known as “Brown Park.” Plans date back to 2017, but there’s no agreement on how to build it.

“The property is in both names; it’s the county and the schools. So, you know, we can’t just come out and say, ‘We’re going to do something’ as a county and just cut the schools,” Isbell explained. “It’s a good project. There’s absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t be done.”

The mayor said they need to find a way to work together for the good of the people.

“I’ve always believed, and it’s even more true now, that the mayor’s role is to build relationships,” Isabell told News 2. “So I’ll continue to try to build those relationships, but the problem is we have to have two sides to build those relationships.”

Sumner County Schools Begins Stadium Upgrades After Budget Debates, Delays

“We believe that meetings lasting hours are completely unnecessary. We don’t solve problems, we create more problems than we solve,” Isbell added.

The mayor said overall the dialogue with Sumner County officials needs to improve.

“Moving forward, I think if we just start toning down the rhetoric and understand that not everyone who works in government is bad, not everyone is corrupt, some of us are here to just serve the citizens. That’s my goal,” Isbell said.

News 2 spoke with Sumner County Commissioner Tim Jones, who expressed his disagreements with the school district. He said he also wants to find common ground, but “the issues need to be identified and acknowledged before common ground can be reached.”

Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com

Jones elaborated, saying, “We’re not being name-calling or being nasty; we’re just stating the facts.” As for Brown Park, Jones feels his and other commissioners’ concerns with the plan have been ignored by the school district and the mayor’s office.

Plans for Brown Park will be presented to the Sumner County Budget Commission on Monday, September 9.

For the latest news, weather, sports events and video coverage, visit WKRN News 2.