Mayor Williams Outlines Five Priorities for First 100 Days as New County Commission Takes Office

Charlotte, TN — The Dickson County Commission elected County Mayor Danny Williams as its chair at its Sept. 8 work session, then heard his plans to address five issues during his first 100 days in office.

Commissioners also elected Randy Simpkins as chair pro tempore. Both were elected without opposition.

Williams said his priorities grew out of conversations with residents during his campaign. They include sober living homes, property taxes for seniors, the county’s sanitation fee, data center regulations and additional planning staff.

The five items were presented for discussion. The commission did not approve any of the proposed changes at the work session.

Williams said he wants the county to consider a resolution asking state and federal lawmakers to change the laws governing local regulation of sober living homes. He told commissioners that federal protections currently limit what counties and cities can do. A resolution would formally ask lawmakers to examine those limits; it would not itself give the county new regulatory authority.

For older homeowners, Williams proposed exploring a property tax freeze for qualifying residents age 65 and older whose income falls within a limit set under state rules. He said participants would have to meet the income requirement and reapply each year.

Commissioner Britt suggested inviting the County Technical Assistance Service to explain the program and its costs at a public meeting. Williams agreed and said the county would also need input from the property assessor and trustee. No eligibility threshold or county cost was established at the work session. Williams described an early estimate of roughly $250,000 but said more analysis was needed.

Williams also wants to revisit how the county collects its $10 monthly sanitation fee, now charged through electric bills. He said the electric utility has urged the county to find another way to collect it.

He identified three possibilities for commissioners to review: creating a county billing system, placing an annual sanitation charge on property tax bills, or ending the separate fee and funding the service through property taxes. Williams said he plans to return with information on the cost and procedures for each option. No change to the fee was approved.

On data centers, Williams said the Planning Commission is working on proposed rules following the county’s six-month moratorium. He expects a recommendation within about 100 days addressing where data centers could be located and what restrictions might apply. Commissioners did not consider a specific zoning proposal at the work session.

His fifth priority is hiring a full-time planner. Williams said the county needs more planning capacity as it grows, particularly to prepare for future development and protect rural areas. The position is not in the current budget, he said, so he would have to identify funding and bring a budget amendment back to commissioners.

Williams told the commission the list was a starting point for work over the coming months. Each proposal will require further research or a separate action before it can take effect.