(MURFREESBORO) Middle Tennessee State University has given a written response to the Nov. 3, 2023, letter from the Murfreesboro City Manager Craig Tindall that outlines serious concerns by the City between the two government bodies.

The initial correspondence indicates that the City of Murfreesboro is concerned that 42-parcels of MTSU owned residential property with an assessed value in excess of $12-million is tax exempt, and yet City police have reportedly “…answered more than 200 calls to residents living (last year) on this University-owned land (and explains) that some were for very serious crimes, but since the property is not on the tax-rolls...the calls are a drain on City resources and a burden on the community”.

In the University’s response (11/8/2023), President Sidney A. McPhee indicates that there have been on-going meetings between the two government bodies, “You were well aware that yesterday, Nov. 7, a previously scheduled meeting was held at the Murfreesboro Police Department that included not only the two of us, but the Murfreesboro Chief of Police, our campus Chief of Police and Alan Thomas, our Vice President for Business and Finance. This meeting was scheduled a few weeks ago to help address some of the very issues raised in your letter. Furthermore, next Monday on our campus, there has been a long-planned joint meeting between the MTSU’s Executive Leadership Team, Chair of our Board of Trustees, the Mayor and members of the City Council to discuss issues of mutual concern and potential further collaboration. The inference from your letter that we are not engaged or actively talking about issues of shared concern is disingenuous and reflects a lack of transparency.” 

Letters between MTSU and Murfreesboro: 

• MTSU's Response to City of Murfreesboro (Click Here)
• Murfreesboro to MTSU: Concerned Letter (Click Here)
• Murfreesboro to MTSU: MTSU Residential Addresses / Photos (Click Here)
• Murfreesboro Police: 202 Calls of Service to MTSU Residential (Click Here)
• Crime Heat Maps from Murfreesboro to MTSU (Click Here)

MTSU Says There Have Been Communications - Dr. McPhee said,  “I must admit to being surprised by your letter (11/3/2023) as it insinuates that there has been a lack of communication and collaboration with the City on these issues. In fact, there have been on-going discussions between your office, the Mayor, the Chief of Police and the City Planning Department regarding many of the issues outlined in your letter.”

MTSU Residential Property in Question - The City of Murfreesboro letter comments, “...very concerning are the current conditions of these University-owned properties. Most are in poor condition and maintenance efforts are obviously marginal. In short, these properties constitute a blight on the community.”

MTSU President McPhee notes, “During a meeting with you (Tindall) and the City Planning Department on Aug. 23, our Campus Planning staff acknowledged that some of our properties have been managed by the management company in a less-than-ideal manner…Last week, we (MTSU) received approval from the State to demolish four properties owned by the university. We are actively evaluating two or three other properties for demolition as well. These and other updates from the campus will continue as our planning departments meet on a regular basis, with the first of these meetings occurring on October 3.”

Dr. McPhee continued, “In looking at the map that WGNS publicly posted alongside your letter to me, I noticed that the ‘hot zone’ for crime was actually not in the immediate area of our campus nor in the area where we hold the majority of our properties, but rather in an area that has long been a mixed-use residential area, including a large number of these apartment and rental communities, that serve not only our campus but the larger city population. On multiple occasions we have reached out to the properties in an effort to address some of the concerns but unfortunately, the majority of these properties fall outside our domain, which limits our ability to influence their policies or actions.”

University Land Exempt from Taxes (T.C.A. § 67-5-203) - MTSU’s response points out that, “While the current market value for these properties may exceed $12 million, based on the 2022 tax assessments, these properties would have generated less than $35,000 in revenue for the City. More importantly, these University properties are not subject to taxation. Under T.C.A. § 67-5-203, ‘all property of any educational institution owned, operated or otherwise controlled by the state of Tennessee as trustee, or otherwise, shall be exempt from taxation.’ Even if your tax lost inference was legitimate, when compared to the over $1 billion annually in economic impact for the City of Murfreesboro generated by the University, this figure would appear to be only a modest concern.”

The letter from the City of Murfreesboro concluded by informing Dr. McPhee that "Council is unified in requiring the University develop a plan to immediately address its substandard properties in the City. Additionally, Council would request that the University become an active partner in addressing crime around the University.”

The letter from the Murfreesboro ends with, “Until the University begins working with the City on these issues, the City, at the very least, will oppose MTSU purchasing additional properties not associated with a short-term plan for active, educational uses.”

MTSU’s Dr. McPhee concluded with, “One of our greatest successes has been MTSU’s recognition by the Princeton Review, for the 5th year in a row, on its list of America’s top higher education institutions. It is my belief that, working together, we can assure that both MTSU and Murfreesboro can be considered among the best in the nation.”

CLICK HERE to read the initial WGNS news story on Nov. 7, 2023.

MTSU Letter to Murfreesboro Below: