Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson Says Goodbye During His Final Days

Williamson County Rogers Anderson said to look at his head and at all the gray. 

 “So, I am ready for that — retirement,” he quipped with a laugh.

During the last few weeks, Anderson has been cleaning out 24 years' worth of documents, plaques, paintings and too many books. This all while doing his job during the final days of his tenure. 

Anderson will turn over the office to restaurateur and businessman Andy Marshall, who won political office for the first time earlier this month. 

He and his longtime chief of staff, Diane Giddens (who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign for District 2 County Commission earlier this year), sat down with the Williamson Scene to discuss the end of Anderson’s efforts in county government, including the successes and challenges facing Williamson County.

“I think Williamson County is in a good place. We have lots of room for improvement, lots of areas that we need to grow and retool, and I think the next mayor will take us to a different level,” Anderson said. “Change will always be difficult, but there are things that we need to get prepared for the 21st and 22nd centuries.

While Anderson has certainly been the face of the county, he emphasized that his time as mayor and those successes are due in large part to his partners in the county commission, county department leaders and other staff, especially Giddens.

“Diane is a master at looking down the road and seeing if you do this, this is what happens,” he said. “I think you get that with tenure and age, and a lot of requests for wisdom, and try not to make the same mistake twice.”

Anderson nodded at his predecessors in county government, like Bob Ring and Clint Callicott, who helped pave the way for schools, recreation areas and the county agriculture expo center. 

Anderson has been honored at numerous events throughout the year, but even when some of his friends — like former state Rep. Charles Sargent — and peers moved on to serve some 20 miles north at the state house, Anderson’s service stayed rooted in Williamson County.

“I never had the desire to go to Nashville or to Washington,” he said. “I'm a little bit of a different person in that it didn't bother me if somebody stopped me in the grocery store, the mall, or on the street to ask about a particular thing. That’s what I was best suited for — to be able to help those. And sometimes, Diane would handle a lot of the things way before they ever got to me. So it's that public service, it's that willingness to serve others and work with others. 

Despite more than two decades of service, Anderson said he never was thinking about the next election cycle or campaign. Instead, he thought about the work in front of him. And if it hadn’t been for Rep. Sargent, Anderson might never have involved himself in politics. 

“Back in the mid ‘80s, our public schools weren't really what they are today,” Anderson said. “A lot of things needed to change, and so, through working with another gentleman by the name of Charles Sargent, we lived in the same neighborhood. We were on the homeowners board. We worked in the athletic department, getting things done for the Grassland community, and it was just a natural migration.”

Anderson takes pride in many of the county’s achievements and advancements, such as the expansive services through the Parks and Recreation department, but top of his list is schools. For years, Williamson County has ranked No. 1 in the state for its public schools through various test scores and metrics. 

During his time in office, Williamson County Schools built 19 of them as the area rapidly expanded. It also included a sales tax referendum in 2018 — when the measure won — to try to keep up with the demand for school funding and construction. 

“That election was a prime example of what can be done with the right education, the right message going out,” he said. “That people said education is kind of important to us in Williamson County. We support that. Was it enough? No, but it was. That was all we could do.”

Another achievement under Anderson’s leadership was the rebirth of the Williamson County Fair in 2005. The event has since grown to be a vital community event, serving more than just the fairgoers, and expanding to support community service organizations through local schools and organizations like GraceWorks.

“Shortly after we got in [to office,] we said, well, we need greater exposure for our Ag center,” Anderson said.

Both Anderson and Giddens were the backbone of getting the fair started and going, despite the 100-degree temperatures the fair just endured this year. 

“The volunteers are definitely the heartbeat of the fair, and we're living in a different time where people would rather write a check than give up their time and their talents, and their time and talents are what are the engine that makes the fair go,” Giddens said. 

Anderson hopes that the public will remember that he and other elected officials are “doing [the] best job that we can, and we are going to make mistakes. He added that he would like to see more civic engagement — especially regarding low voter turnout — and expressed faith in the next generation of citizens and leaders.

“I'm very excited and very high on this next generation, your age and under,” Anderson said. “We've had a lot of young people come through, either working here in one of our other departments. They're sharp. I'm impressed with this next generation of people that really, once they get out of those teenage years and kind of settle down and begin their walk in life, great ideas a lot of them are having, and so I'm very excited about where the future lies.”