Deal for Black-majority town in Tennessee takeover case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The small town of Mason has announced it has reached a deal halting the threat of a takeover of its finances by the state of Tennessee.

Emmit Gooden, right, mayor of Mason, Tenn., answers questions after a hearing in Davidson County Chancery Court on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Listening at left is attorney Terry Clayton, one of the attorneys representing the town leaders of Mason, a small town facing a takeover of its finances by the state comptroller. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

The agreement marks a victory for town officials who had argued the state was treating Mason’s majority-Black leaders differently than they have white administrators who also struggled with finances.

As part of the agreement, Mason officials will have to notify the state when they spend more than $1,000.

Notably, the deal will nearly halve the $10,000 monthly payment Mason had been paying on what it owed to its water and sewer funds.

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