After a three-and-a-half hour debate with multiple amendments introduced, the Williamson County Board of Commissioners voted 18-5 to approve the formation of a nine-member task force to study the Williamson County seal, which has an image of the Confederate flag.
Commissioners voting against the move included Judy Herbert, 3rd District; Bert Chalfant, 7th District; Gregg Lawrence, 4th District; Erin Nations, 6th District; and Barbara Sturgeon, 8th District.
Most commissioners said they received an enormous response from the community about the seal in emails, phone calls and petitions — some against the Confederate flag symbol on the seal and some in favor.
Adopted in 1968 in the era of the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr., the Williamson County seal has drawn mounting criticism from constituents.
Franklin resident Dustin Koctar, who launched a petition to change the seal, first criticized the presence of a Confederate flag on it at a community vigil in memory of George Floyd in Franklin last month.
Previously: Williamson budget committee approves task force to explore removal of Confederate flag on seal
What will the task force do?
The resolution, written by Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson's office, calls for the formation of a nine-member task force comprised of Black community and business leaders as well as representatives from various community organizations and the county historian.
The task force is charged with discussing the seal and submitting a recommendation to the county commission in September about whether to change it.
Williamson Inc., the county's chamber of commerce and county economic department, will chair the task force, including organizing meetings and collecting data. A representative from Williamson Inc. will also serve on the task force.
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Commissioners propose alternate ideas
Several commissioners proposed amendments, including how to direct the task force, while others wanted to bypass the task force altogether.
Commissioner Sean Aiello, 11th District, proposed an amendment that would appoint the county historian Rick Warwick as chairman of the task force, instead of Williamson Inc. His proposal failed.
Commissioner David Landrum, 10th District, proposed an amendment for the task force to only study the upper left hand quadrant of the seal containing the Confederate flag, and leave the rest of the seal untouched. His amendment gained the most traction, but still failed 11-12.
At one point, Commissioner Gregg Lawrence, 4th District, suggested deferring the discussion.
"Let's wait until things calm down in America so maybe we can be more reasonable," he said, also stating that the seal needs to change. "I think it's going to be hard to get a consensus during this time on the seal."
Commissioner Dwight Bubba Jones, 1st District, later made an amendment to eliminate the entire county seal altogether.
"Let's just do away with the seal and remove the controversy," he said.
However, he later withdrew his amendment when Commissioner Chad Story, 4th District, proposed a separate amendment calling for the removal the Confederate flag on the seal instead of forming a task force gained momentum.
Story argued that he "feared" that the task force might alter other parts of the seal and thus compromise its full historical integrity.
"Let's remove the Confederate flag and take our resolution directly to the Tennessee Historical Commission," Story said.
Some commissioners who previously supported the task force began to shift their perspective as Story presented his argument.
Commissioner Brian Beathard, 11th District, who initially sponsored the mayor's task force proposal, shifted his perspective to support instead Story's proposal.
"Some constituents have egregiously told me the commission doesn't have the gravitas to make this decision on our own," Beathard said. "A committee would have too much to tackle looking at whole seal, if the sensitive part is really to remove the flag."
'Is it hate or is it heritage?'
Commissioner Keith Hudson, 3rd District, the only Black member of the county commission, initially supported the task force resolution but later voiced his support of Story's suggestion to remove the Confederate flag as well, while bypassing the task force.
Hudson also explained his view of the Confederate flag as a symbol.
He simply explained that for him and many other people of color the Confederate flag is "a symbol of hate."
"It's the same as the swastika for me," he said. "I tell my son to stay away. If it's displayed in a business, they are sending a message they don't want you as a patron."
He said the flag symbolizes different things for different people.
"Is it hate or is it heritage? You don't know so, son, stay away," Hudson said. "I remember coming out of Woolworth's, and the Klan marching, and I saw the battle flag and that is my memory."
Original resolution passes
Ultimately, the momentum for Story's amendment fizzled when he removed it from consideration. The commission then voted on the initial resolution presented by the mayor and five commission sponsors — Hudson, Morton, Webb, Beathard and Commissioner Betsy Hester, 2nd District.
Other commissioners voiced why they support the formation of the task force.
"I am proud to support this proposal, this is a much needed change," Chas Morton, 9th District, said.
"Everything should have a look to be modernized," Paul Webb, 6th District said. "Let's have the discussion."
"We need to discuss this to be an authentic county," said Beth Lothers, 5th District, said.
The county commission will review the recommendations from the task force at its regular monthly commission meeting in September.
Kerri Bartlett covers issues affecting children, families, education and government in Williamson County. She can be contacted at kbartlett@gannett.com, 615-308-8324 or @keb1414 on Twitter.
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Task force to study Confederate flag on Williamson County seal after hours of debate - Tennessean
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