BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The attorney representing neighbors of one of Brentwood's most expensive neighborhoods has filed a formal ethics complaint against Mayor Mark Gorman, alleging years of potential conflicts of interest.
The Governor's Club is a luxury subdivision featuring an Arnold Palmer Signature 18-hole golf course.
The Property Owners' Association and their attorney documented what they claim are multiple violations of the city code by the mayor.
Greg Cantrell, president of the Governor's Club Property Owners' Association, said the golf course's deteriorating condition is a visual symptom of deeper issues.
"It's not the golf course I joined for sure," Cantrell said.
He points to a pond on the course describing the situation as "a build up of sludge that's been ignored over the years."
"At the end of the day, we have things like this that never get taken care of," Cantrell said.
The subdivision boasts some of the highest home values in Williamson County. In 2022, the Property Owners Association sought to hire a management company.
Cantrell said that is where problems began with then-City Commissioner Gorman.
"He was on track to be the agent for the Governor's Club Association and fix these problems. He said he could fix them. If anything, it has taken a bad turn under his leadership," Cantrell said.
In 2022, the Property Owners' Association awarded AtoZ entities the business contract to manage the subdivision. There were several zoning violations regarding stormwater retention ponds on the course that needed addressing.
Mark Gorman's wife, Ann Michelle Gorman, signed the contract, taking the job to fix things up. The filed ethics complaint points out a potential conflict of interest, with Gorman allegedly using his position as city commissioner to secure the contract for his own family.
John Harris, the Governor's Club attorney, filed the nine-page ethics complaint.
"There are a lot of issues involving Mark Gorman and what he's done as a commissioner and Mayor, how he got in the representations he made to Governor's Club to get the contracts," Harris said.
"It generally had to do with his inability to resolve problems as a manager at the Governors club was experiencing," Harris said.
Mayor Gorman denies the allegations, calling them politically motivated.
"This is a continued attack against me, conveniently timed around an election," Gorman said.
When asked if he promised the Governor's Club property owners association he would help fix problems upon A-to-Z being brought on as a management company, Gorman responded: "No ma'am, that's factually incorrect."
The complaint asks the city to review whether Gorman used his role as a city leader to secure contracts exceeding $1 million. It claims city records can't prove if Gorman disclosed these business relationships in commission meetings, including when voting on matters regarding the Governor's Club.
"I was the primary contact, not with the Governor's Club. She has a whole team of employees who do the work. I was just the contact with the property owners association with the president with the HOA president," Gorman said.
However, board meeting minutes from the Governor's Club board of directors list Mark Gorman with A-to-Z Properties consistently attending meetings from November 2022-23.
When asked why the situation has become so contentious, Gorman said, "When you look at Brentwood, I think Brentwood is something worth fighting for."
Cantrell offered a different perspective: "That's my message to the city of Brentwood. You should be concerned about this kind of toxic leader."
While this dispute is occurring during an election season, the Governor's Club attorney and board president said the board won't address these concerns until after the election.
I've also learned that Gorman has made ethics allegations against Cantrell, providing documentation showing Cantrell pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud in 1997.
This information has been distributed to several neighbors. Cantrell confirmed this is true, saying he served his time and is proud of his personal and business growth after his conviction when he was 29.
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This story continues to develop. If you have information, questions, or concerns about ethics in Brentwood's government or similar situations in your community, I'm here to listen.
Contact me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com to continue the conversation.
