CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A move to oppose Tennessee school vouchers was joined in on by the Clarksville City Council and the CMCSS School Board in recent weeks, but the Montgomery County Commission was more resistant at their meeting on Monday, with numerous elected officials saying the matter is out of their jurisdiction.

Under Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act , families would receive taxpayer money to help pay for tuition at private schools, including religious institutions.

Commissioner Lisa Prichard sponsored the resolution to oppose the legislation, and said she wants everyone to understand there are opinions on this issue from the fifth largest city in the state.

But Commissioner John Gannon said it’s a state of Tennessee issue, and however the commission votes will have little, if any, impact in the end.

“I understand both sides of the issue; that’s not a problem, but my problem is the controversy this causes,” Gannon said. “And if you don’t believe it causes controversy, you need to go read the papers and find out what happened at the last City Council meeting when they voted on vouchers. I don’t think we need that in our chambers.”

Gannon said he will make a motion to table the discussion at the commission’s formal meeting on Monday, April 8. Several commissioners echoed the same message.

However, Commissioner Ryan Gallant said it’s the commission’s responsibility as community leaders to make a stand.

“That’s why we are here at the end of the day; we have people to represent,” Gallant said. “Even if we don’t vote on this, it’s still the voice and what it shows and making a stand for something is what we are here to do. … So, the right thing to do is to still put your opinion on it regardless, because it will show the content of our character as a whole in this chamber where we do stand with our fellow community leaders and CMCSS.”

Leading up to the commission meeting, the Budget Committee unanimously voted down the resolution. While speaking on the topic, Mayor Wes Golden said he didn’t bring this forward – Prichard did – and he added that the county is currently asking Gov. Bill Lee and the state of Tennessee for a lot of money.

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