Submitted by the Vote Yes on #1 Committee
WHY IS THERE A SMYRNA REFERENDUM, AND WHY SHOULD I VOTE YES?
There is a lot of misinformation and inaccuracies regarding the Smyrna Referendum on March 5. Here are the reasons why the Smyrna Town Council approved a referendum for the people of Smyrna to decide whether to keep the Smyrna General Sessions Court:
THE REASONS
The new Chief of Police, Jason Irvin, expressed concerns in March 2023 to the Town of Smyrna administration regarding the safety and liability of officers in connection with the Smyrna General Sessions Court.
Because of Chief Irvin’s concerns, Mayor Mary Esther Reed initiated a request to the Town Manager in April 2023 to collaborate with the Director of Finance to provide information on the courts and their impact on the budget. The analysis showed an immediate annual savings of $500,000 to the Town budget that would result from returning the General Sessions court to Rutherford County.
In a workshop before the Town Council on August 24, 2023, Police Chief Jason Irvin again addressed his concerns created by the General Sessions court. “It’s a strain on our resources as far as transporting prisoners and court security. It could take up to nine officers that we are using for those duties that we wouldn’t have to do if our process changed.”
CHARTER REQUIREMENT & COURT RESPONSIBILITY
The Smyrna Town Charter requires that the Town Council vote by a two-thirds majority to hold a referendum, giving Smyrna citizens the power to decide if they want to eliminate the expense and duplicated service of the General Sessions court.
General Sessions court is the responsibility of Rutherford County. Returning the court to the county means Smyrna taxpayers will no longer be taxed twice (county and town) for the duplicated court service.
POLICE SAFETY PLUS MORE OFFICERS ON PATROL
By removing criminal transport to and from the Rutherford County jail for General Sessions Court, along with the extradition of inmates in other states, officer risk and the Town’s liability will be decreased.
There will be more police officers on patrol to keep Smyrna safe. Officers previously used specifically for courts and warrants will be now used for patrol functions.
A DUPLICATED COURT
Smyrna is the only municipality in the county holding General Sessions Court. Murfreesboro, La Vergne, and Eagleville all use the services of the Rutherford County General Sessions court located in the new state-of-the-art Rutherford County Judicial Center.
SAVINGS TO THE TOWN BUDGET WILL RESULT
Per the State Constitution, the current Town Judge will serve until her elected term expires in 2030 at her current salary of over $123,000 per year plus insurance and retirement. Per the State Constitution, the current Town Court Clerk will serve until her elected term expires in 2026 at her current salary of $89,000 per year plus insurance and retirement.
The Municipal Court will remain in Smyrna and continue to operate, and the citizens of Smyrna will still be able to vote for a General Sessions Court judge in Rutherford County elections.
