MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. - Maury County officials debated Tuesday night about an issue that could fundamentally change the way their local government operates, a potential Metro form of government.
The proposal on the table would consolidate the city of Columbia. Maury County voters will have the final say on the issue in exactly one week. On Tuesday, residents held a forum to educate voters on the issue.
"It's not about putting one down or the other, we just want to educate the community about what it's going to do for the future and what it won't do for them," said Johnny Farris, the Forum Organizer.
The issue of a potential Metro Government already has many people choosing sides. For many people at the forum, the meeting was about asking questions and getting answers because, if there's one thing both sides can agree on, it's that the metro charter can be confusing.
"It's a very, very complex document. It's just so hard to understand," said Maury County Mayor Jim Bailey.
Organizers said this document would drastically change the way their hometown is run. They believe this is an important decision and hope that voters take it to heart.
The forum was held on the campus of Columbia State Community College and was put on by a neutral party. The panel of speakers included people both for and against who said they will continue campaigning for their cause, right up until Election Day.
Of the 95 counties in Tennessee, only three of them currently operate under a Metro form of government. One of those three is of course, Davidson County, which consolidated with the City of Nashville in the 1960s.
