6,250 subscribers www.TML1.org Volume 69, Number 13 Aug 13, 2018 Lee, Dean win party primaries, to face off in November BY CAROLE GRAVES TML Communications Director Political newcomer and Frank- lin businessman Bill Lee won the Republican gubernatorial nomina- tion, beating out his challengers with 37 percent of the votes. Early frontrunners Randy Boyd, former state Commissioner of Economic and Community De- velopment, and Diane Black, TN 6th District Congressman, finished second and third, respectively, with 24 percent for Boyd, and 23 percent for Black. Beth Harwell, TN Speaker of the House, finished with 15 percent of the votes. On the Democratic side, for- mer Nashville Mayor Karl Dean easily won over state Rep. Craig Photo by Shelley Mays/ The Tennessean Photo by George Walker IV / The Tennessean Fitzhugh with 75 percent of the Political newcomer Bill Lee, the owner of a Franklin-based me- Former Nashville mayor Karl Dean took 75 percent of the vote tto votes. chanical contractor for facilities and home servcies, beat out three clinch the Democratic gubernatorial primary. He and Lee will face Dean and Lee will face off in experienced politicians for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. off in November. November to determine who will be the 50th governor of Tennessee. Republican state Sen. Mark be seated as a new freshman Sen- Doggett, who captured 55 percent key committee chairmanships. In the U.S. Senate, both Green was unopposed in the 7th ator who will represent portions of of the votes to Doss’ 44 percent. Doss was chairman of the House frontrunners won their primaries. District primary. He will face Dem- Shelby County. Wirgau was defeated by Bruce I. Transportation Committee and Republican Marsha Blackburn will ocrat Justin Kanew in November. In the House, both Reps. Griffey, who captured 58 percent Wirgau chaired the House Local face Democrat Phil Bredesen in In the state legislature, all 99 Barry Doss and Tim Wirgau lost of the votes to Wirgau’s 41 per- Government Committee. November to determine who will seats in the House and 18 of the their primaries. Doss lost to Clay cent. Both Doss and Wirgau held See ELECTION on Page 5 fill the seat currently held by Sen. 33 Senate seats are up for election. Bob Corker, who has elected to not Eighteen Republicans and seven run again. Democratic incumbents in the Six incumbents vying to keep House did not run again. Weighing the costs: Making smart their seats in Congress all won their In the Senate, Democrat Sens. primaries. Three Congressional Lee Harris and Thelma Harper, seats are open due to the retirement and Republican Sen. Bill Ketron choices with business incentives of Congressman Jimmy District of Murfreesboro did not seek BY KATE COIL in the 2nd District and in 6th and re-election in the legislature. Both TML Communications Specialist 7th Districts, where Reps. Black Sens. Harris and Ketron ran for and Blackburn ran for other public other public office. Harris ran and While incentives have become offices. was elected Shelby County Mayor. a major piece of the puzzle of eco- In the 2nd District, Knox Ketron ran and was elected Ruther- nomic development, sometimes in- County Mayor Tim Burchett de- ford County Mayor. centive packages can do more harm feated state Rep. Jimmy Matlock. Three incumbents running for than good when it comes to bring- Burchett will face Democrat Renee re-election in the Tennessee Gen- ing business to the community. Hoyos in the general election. eral Assembly lost their primaries. Municipalities across Tennes- Former state Agriculture Sen. Reginald Tate lost to Katrina see are looking for better ways to Commissioner John Rose beat Robinson in Senate District 33. balance the pluses and pitfalls of former Murfreesboro judge Bob Robinson captured 68 percent of tax incentives by making sure they Corlew in the 6th District. Rose the votes and does not face a Re- get the biggest bang for their buck will face Democrat Dawn Barlow publican challenger in November, out of programs like tax-increment in November. and therefore, will automatically financing (TIFs) and payment-in- lieu-of-taxes (PILOT). As a state, Tennessee already TIFS and PILOT programs are the two most common incentive offers the fourth highest amount of packages used by municipalities to bring in business, but recent incentives in the nation. The W.E. studies have shown that many incentive packages may cost more Upjohn Institute for Employment money than they actually bring in. Research reported in 2017 that the state and local governments pro- also brought major business to the lection consultants are now not vide more than $2.5 billion worth state including IKEA, Amazon, site selectors but site eliminators,” of incentives annually, including Volkswagen, and Google — to Trent said. “Their job is to elimi- More than 60 municipalities hold property tax breaks, grants, and name a few. nate their site, and if you have got- other subsidies. J. Thomas Trent, chairman ten to the point that a site selector elections during August primary That amount is nearly 1 percent of the Economic Development has called you, it means you’ve BY KATE COIL beat out fellow challengers Carol of the state’s private-sector gross Practice Group and a member of made it past the first several rounds. M. Macha and Dwyot Thornton for domestic product. The amount of the Real Estate team for Bradley You won’t even know it if you have In addition to the state and the one open seat on the Ashland incentives Tennessee offers is also Arant Boult Cummings, LLP, said been eliminated before that.” federal offices up for grabs, many City Council. 105 percent higher than the national the impact incentives can have and Additionally, Trent said re- Tennessee residents went to the The seat was left open after average. how companies choose where to cruiting business has gotten much polls on Aug. 2 to vote in municipal former Councilman Gary Nor- Companies claimed $90.5 locate have changed rapidly in the more competitive even before elections wood resigned upon moving to million in jobs tax credits and $3.5 past decade. incentives come into play. A total of 62 cities and towns Clarksville. million in headquarters credits in “With the analytics available “There are also many more across Tennessee ranging from Kerrigan and Thornton ap- fiscal 2017. on the internet, software programs, states playing this game than there Alexandria to Whiteville held mu- plied for the seat in May, but after However, incentives have and subscription services, site-se- See INCENTIVES on Page 10 nicipal elections to coincide with the city council was unable to break the state general primary. a tie vote they opted to let local However, municipal election voters decide. I-24 to pilot state’s Smart Corridor Program season isn’t over yet in Tennessee. BY KATE COIL More than 200 municipalities BAILEYTON are also slated to hold their city Incumbent Chris Weens and The Tennessee Department of elections on Nov. 6 in conjunction newcomer Andy Pierce were Transportation has begun part of a with upcoming state and federal elected to the two open aldermen 12-year process to transform a 30- elections. seats on the Baileytown Board of mile section of Interstate 24 between Mayor and Aldermen while in- Nashville and Murfreesboro into the ALEXANDRIA cumbent Michael G. Starnes was state’s first Smart Corridor. Incumbent mayor Bennett elected to the one unexpired-term Smart Corridors are segments Armstrong defeated challenger alderman seat up for election. of major roadways that feature spe- Donna Davis in a write-in cam- cialized signage to alert motorists paign for Alexandria mayor. BAXTER to motorists to upcoming accidents, Newcomer Lloyd Dale Dyer Incumbents Willie D. Allison weather events, and other obstacles. was elected for one of the three and Greg Phillips were re-elected The major goal of Smart Corridors is open expired-term aldermen seats to the two open aldermen seats in to alleviate traffic congestion by of- while write-in candidate and in- Baxter. fering motorists better information cumbent Shane Blair took the The Interstate 24 Corridor between Murfreesboro and Nashville on upcoming road issues. could soon have signs like these to better direct traffic flow. Smart second. BELL BUCKLE The I-24 Smart Corridor will be On a write-in campaign, new- Bell Buckle Fire Chief Ronnie Corridor programs have taken route in states across the nation, with completed in several phases during Tennessee the latest to pilot the program. comer Bridgette Rogers took one W. Lokey ran unopposed and was the next 12 years with improve- of the two open unexpired terms elected to his seat of mayor of Bell ments including the installation of and future, emerging technology,” tion with motorists will provide on the board. Buckle, previously held by Jenny an intelligent transport system (ITS) he said. “Smart Corridors are really real-time information on traffic Hunt. and improvements to roadways and targeted toward congestion as a conditions as well as allow the state ALGOOD Challengers Zachary Akers ramps. result of non-reoccurring causes, better control over traffic situations. Challenger Lisa Chap- and James Anderson were also Phillip B. “Brad” Freeze, direc- which include instances like traf- “It helps reduce accidents, even man-Fowler defeated Kirk A. elected to the two open seats on the tor of the traffics operation division fic crashes, weather events, and the flow of traffic, reduce the build- Dyer for the Algood mayor’s seat. Bell Buckle Board of Aldermen. of the Tennessee Department of anything that is not planned. If you up of congestion, and makes the sys- Incumbent candidates Billy Transportation (TDOT), said Smart look at information from the Federal tem a little more reliable,” Freeze D.