County Mayor's speech highlights achievements, goals for future
Interlaced with comedy, the presentation showed some of the accomplishments the county saw not only in the past year, but in years leading up to 2025. Some insights into the future of the county were also given by Mayor Hutto.
Between some segments, clips of comedian Nate Bargatze's stand-up routine about Wilson County were included.
Held at the Wilson Bank & Trust Operations Center on North Castle Heights Avenue, topics discussed, which Hutto believed are important to the residents of Wilson County, included growth, achievements, quality of life, education and transit projects.
Hutto took a few moments to recognize elected officials and educators during the address.
'[I'm] proud to say we work with a great group of elected officials,' Hutto said. 'Every time they make a decision, they make it with your family on their mind.'
Statistics on Wilson County were highlighted, especially rankings compared to other counties in the state. Hutto said the county is #1 in education, public safety and agriculture, adding that Wilson County has the highest number of Century Farms in Tennessee. For economic development, the county ranks second.
'Wilson County has been known as the place to be,' he added. 'We want to be the best in the state of Tennessee when you compare it to all 95 counties.'
Video clips were included in the slideshow from various city officials across the county, and also a message from Governor Bill Lee.
'I want to take a moment to recognize your work to ensure Tennessee remains the best state in the nation,' Lee said. 'Wilson County plays an important role in the Middle Tennessee region, and we're grateful for the many ways that this community drives our economy, spurs job creation, strengthens Tennessee families and so much more.'
Within the past 12 years, 12 new schools were constructed and seven buildings were renovated. Hutto said education has been a large contributor to the county's success.
The Wilson County School Board said the county has above average graduation rates compared to the rest of Tennessee. The information was shared in a video clip featuring Wilson County Schools Public Information Officer Bart Barker.
'We are growing. In fact, new schools are being built as we speak,' Barker said. 'Because people want to be here, they want to raise their families here and they want to send their children to an incredible public school system.'
Regarding public safety, the county has doubled the size of the jail, and Hutto said a new 911 center was installed to make emergency responses more efficient. He said plans are underway to overhaul the LaGuardo WEMA station to bring new equipment for the western half of the county. Funds would come from $6 million left over from the 2020 tornado recovery funds.
Wilson County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Scott Moore spoke about school safety in another video clip embedded into the presentation.
'We're one of the first counties in the state of Tennessee to put a certified school resource officer in every school,' Moore said.
A recent active shooter training was held at Friendship Christian School by first responder agencies across the county.
'I want to reassure every citizen of Wilson County that we will do everything we can to train our SROs so they are confident in their abilities to handle these situations,' Moore said. 'They will remain proactive rather than reactive.'
Road improvement projects were also brought up, including the county's plans to revamp many of the roadways based on a 10-to-20-year projection. Hutto said TDOT is working with the county on these investments.
The presentation said economic growth and new jobs coming to the county are a high priority for future plans. New restaurants and businesses are opening up in Lebanon and Mt. Juliet. In-n-Out Burger and Tim Hortons are opening two locations in the county, new sit-down restaurant Aubrey's plans to open in Lebanon. A Sam's Club, Walmart and Target are building in Lebanon.
Hutto said the county plans to recruit more corporate, white-collar jobs to the area. According to data presented in the address, 49,000 people leave Wilson County on average every day to commute to work. Nearly 31,000 commute into the county to work.
'The 49,000 is probably something we want to continue to work at to try to find better jobs for our people here,' Hutto said. 'The goal is to continue to recruit good, high-paying jobs.'
Information provided by Zip Data Maps claims Wilson County is the 27th fastest growing county in the nation with Lebanon as the 12th fastest growing city in the nation.
Other projects like the rail yard turntable project currently underway in Watertown were briefly brought up, and Mayor Hutto ended the address by challenging people to do something for someone everyday without expectation of any payment in return.
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