Williamson County’s Republican mayoral candidates — businessman Andy Marshall and County Commissioner Mary Smith — pitched their platforms to voters this week in two events, just days before early voting kicks off in an election that will see the first new county executive in more than two decades.
Marshall and Smith first faced off in a Williamson County Republican Party debate at Franklin’s Parish Presbyterian Church. Two days later, they took part in a Williamson Inc. forum at Columbia State Community College.
Wednesday’s event was sponsored by Franklin Tomorrow, the League of Women Voters of Williamson County, the Williamson County Association of Realtors, WAKM and the Williamson Herald. Independent candidate Bhavani Kumar “BK” Muvvala was originally scheduled to take part in the forum, but was unable to attend due to illness, according to an event organizer.
Both Marshall and Smith are leaning into their business experience and fiscally conservative stance on governing, while Smith alone can promote her experience within government, having served on the county commission since 2022.
“I've sat through dozens of county commission and committee meetings, even when I wasn't required to be there,” Smith said on Monday. “I spent countless hours on calls, emails and face-to-face with residents at kitchen tables, coffee shops and neighborhoods across this county. I've shown up again and again because you cannot lead what you don't fully understand. I dug into our budgets, analyzed our numbers, met with department heads, asked hard questions, made tough decisions and delivered real solutions, not from a distance, but on the front lines of county government. That's what being ready on day one looks like.”
Marshall, the restaurateur and Puckett’s founder, touts endorsements from much of Williamson County’s political establishment, including Gov. Bill Lee, in addition to that of former Gov. Bill Haslam (2011-2019). He argues that he has and can cultivate connections with state officials to ensure that Williamson County is successful, especially regarding numerous state-funded infrastructure projects.
“Every mayor in this municipality is supporting me because they trust me, and they believe in my style of collaboration and leadership. I think that's something that's going to prove well, as we move forward,” Marshall said on Wednesday. “Particularly with the comprehensive growth plan, we're going to have to have somebody who has the courage to stay on that plan and work with our cities to get that accomplished and keep us moving forward.”
Smith saw a notable amount of support compared to Marshall during Monday night’s event, which drew several hundred people, including dozens of Williamson County GOP officials. While Wednesday’s event was smaller, it still drew more than 100 attendees, including several elected officials who are supporting Marshall. Marshall appeared more comfortable in Wednesday’s forum, while Smith entered Monday’s event to cheers from the crowd.
Marshall and Smith’s most apparent policy difference lies in their positions on how big of an issue the county’s current debt is, with Smith’s focus on reducing the debt as central to her campaign.
“When I think about how much we're spending just to service the debt, that's money that we don't have to pay our teachers more, money that we don't have to pay our county employees more, and so we've got to be more thoughtful about our capital projects. We have to make sure that we're building the right size of capital projects,” Smith said, even suggesting that the county could “come with a different model” for building schools.
Marshall said that while he agrees with paying down debts, he argues that it’s “secure” and “good debt” that’s a part of operating a local government.
“We don't have a debt problem in Williamson County, we really don't,” Marshall said on Wednesday. “The number sounds big, but versus our property value, it's below 1 percent. Nationally, most places want to make sure it's below 8 percent and we're below 1 percent, so we can continue to use our AAA bond rating when it's needed to get things done in this county that are needed. Those [approved] projects, I'm sure, were all vetted out by our folks at the county commission. They discussed them, they decided to push them forward, and they decided that was the best way to do it.”
Some of that debt is tied up in Williamson Medical Center, which could potentially be sold. Neither candidate would take a firm stand on whether they support the sale of the hospital, instead urging patience and input from the hospital board.
In a “lightning round” portion of Wednesday’s forum, when asked if they would raise taxes during their mayoral term, Marshall said, “no,” while Smith said that raising taxes is “always the last resort.” Both candidates said they don’t support a moratorium on residential development.
Monday’s debate featured one question about the candidate’s stances on “smart cities,” which tip-toed into the realm of conspiracy theories about mass surveillance and urban planning, something that appeared to not to immediately register with Marshall, who spoke about trail connectivity and technology to improve traffic congestion.
“You've got to be very careful, you've got to be on guard, because they can mask things as a good idea, and you don't know it, but before you can see what's happened, you got surveillance everywhere, and then you've got control, and we don't want that to happen. We are a free state. We love our freedom here,” Smith said.
At the same time, Smith said that the county could utilize current technologies, including artificial intelligence, to address traffic issues and solutions. Both candidates voiced support for upgrading and investing in technology to make government operations more efficient.
While the race has largely been positive, Smith closed her remarks on Wednesday with more pointed criticisms of her opponent.
“I know what I'm up against,” she said on Wednesday. “I don't have deep pockets. I don't have endorsements of political insiders, but this campaign isn't powered by high-priced consultants. It's powered by everyday people, just like you, who believe the government should work for all of us and not just a select few. This race is not a stepping stone for me. It's the cornerstone and how I will serve.”
Marshall pushed back and framed Smith’s criticism of his financial and political backing as “attacking the American way.”
“To have nothing and to grow a business to success, and then wanting to step away from your business to lend your talents to run a county, I think it's a beautiful thing, and I think it should be celebrated, not attacked,” Marshall said on Wednesday.
“We cannot afford to freeze and let our quality of life slip away,” Marshall said on Monday. “My plan is simple: Keep our taxes low, keep our standards high, and make sure that our growth [that] we see today doesn't price out the very people who call this county home.”
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