School board, county commission debate possible referendum

JACKSON, Tenn. — Heated words Tuesday night as school board members come face-to-face with county commissioners for the first time since talk of putting limits on the district in the future.

Some county commissioners want voters to decide on whether the district can build new schools in the future. This comes on the heals of the board approving “Vision 2020”, a reorganization plan that closes five schools.

“This feels like a slap in the face, it feels like a major slap in the face,” school board member Truman Murry said.

For more than an hour the sides debated a resolution that could ask residents to vote on future construction of schools.

“The people that we serve here in Madison County have the right to know how their money is going to be spent,” Commissioner Jimmy Arnold said.

If approved, the referendum would be non-binding, meaning it will only show public opinion and not dictate actions.

“We can not make decisions for the school board,” Commissioner Luther Mercer said. “It’s their decision, it’s been made, and we need to get behind them to make this thing work and stop bickering.”

School board members said new schools will be needed in the future and they want to work with the county commission to address that.

“Lets work together, not work against each other,” County Commission Chairman Gary Deaton said. “I don’t want to slap the school board in the face and I don’t want to micro manage them. I want to help in every way I possibly can as a commission.”

School board member Truman Murray asked the commissioners to table this referendum for 18 to 24 months. Commissioners are expected to vote on whether to put it on the August ballot during their January meeting, scheduled for next Tuesday.