THE DUMP — May 23, 2025
Welcome to The Dump — your weekly look at the weird, the wild, and Williamson County.
Everyone wanted to play hero this week. Andy and Freddie squared off, while Margie tossed a hand grenade. Nolensville raised taxes like it was Brentwood.
And the Williamson County GOP?
They invited a Democrat to keynote their most recent event.
Let’s dump it out.
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ICE ICE MAYBE: OGLES AND O’CONNELL DUKE IT OUT OVER IMMIGRATION
Earlier this month, ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol swept through South Nashville in a coordinated immigration operation, arresting 196 people—many of them violent offenders and gang members. The streets were quieter. The headlines were loud. And two politicians made sure we couldn’t hear anything over the sound of their own self-importance.
First to the podium: Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who found out about the raid the same way most people do—after it already happened. His response? Not a statement of support, but a policy pivot built on wounded pride. He amended an executive order to require every Metro department to notify his office of any ICE-related contact within one business day. He said it wasn’t to interfere, just to be informed. Because nothing screams emergency like a calendar invite.
But Freddie wasn’t finished. He launched the Belonging Fund™, a privately funded hug jar for families impacted by the raid. No legal services. Just food, rent, and some municipal aromatherapy. It was lighting a candle and declaring the room fixed.
Freddie—looking like a man who’s been wandering Whole Foods without protein—added even more emotional fog: warning ICE might’ve nabbed a dad picking up party hats.
Then came Rep. Andy Ogles, charging in like a Marlboro Man with a press pass and something to prove. Ogles—still dodging campaign finance questions that read like a Choose-Your-Own-Indictment—fired off a letter to Congress demanding an investigation into Mayor O’Connell for “aiding and abetting illegal aliens” and “obstructing federal law enforcement.”
On The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Ogles took it further: accusing O’Connell of creating an “early warning system” for illegal immigrants, warning ICE targets that agents were en route, and “literally putting lives at stake.” His legal theory? “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist.” His message to mayors across America? “Shut your mouth. Let law enforcement do their job.”
To be fair: Ogles is right on the law.
If a mayor creates a system that tips off ICE targets or funnels federal money to obstruction, that’s illegal. Full stop.
But let’s not pretend that’s why he’s yelling.
This is a man who wears cowboy boots with every suit, like he’s trying to win Best Dressed at a Prairie Home Companion costume contest judged by Mike Huckabee. If deflection were a crime, he’d be doing life without parole—and probably selling a Trump mugshot NFT out of his congressional office to cover legal fees.
Ogles insists he’s not targeting O’Connell personally. He’s just “sending a message to mayors across the country.” Of course he is. Because nothing sends a message like a grandstanding congressional letter written in the middle of your own political triage.
O’Connell, meanwhile, insists the executive order was harmless and routine. “We’re not obstructing,” he says. “We’re just staying informed.” Which is a weird way of saying “I don’t want to be embarrassed again.” He’s not blocking ICE. He’s just rearranging the optics.
One’s trying to turn immigration enforcement into a therapy session.
The other’s trying to launder his credibility through a Trump-themed bonfire sale.
And yes—this is real. No, we didn’t write this on mushrooms.
So what did we really get?
• A legitimate law enforcement action.
• A congressman trying to dodge the Ethics Committee with a bullhorn.
• And a city caught in the middle of two egos competing to see who can look busier on camera.
WW BOTTOM LINE:
Ogles wants headlines. O’Connell wants to look relevant.
The public just wants to know whether immigration enforcement is supposed to feel like a federal raid or an HR conflict resolution seminar.
And honestly? We’d love to unsubscribe from both of their mailing lists.
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SURPRISE AMENDMENT: MARGIE SWINGS, BOARD DUCKS
The May 19 Williamson County School Board meeting was rolling along in its usual buttoned-up fashion—approve a traffic light here, shuffle around a few fund balances there, top off textbook budgets, pat the ACT scholars on the back, and everybody’s home before the 10 o’clock news.
But then came the pay chart segment, and with it, a surprise twist from Dr. Margie Johnson, who—despite sitting through the Thursday night work session like everyone else—chose not to preview her amendment then and instead dropped it like a flaming sack of procedural chaos in the middle of the final vote.
Her proposal? Strip $600,000 from raises for employees making over $100,000 and reallocate it to fund two additional paid days for lower-wage classified staff.
Now, if she’d floated that four days earlier during the session designed for feedback, she might’ve earned some momentum. But rolling it out with no notice to staff, HR, or fellow board members? That didn’t read as bold. That read as a gotcha move.
Board Member Eric Welch, never known for his restraint… or his brevity, responded with an impromptu lecture about board ethics—as if he discovered his like a sock in the dryer.
And just as it seemed the whole meeting was about to spiral into a live-streamed morality play, Chairman Josh Brown stepped in with the kind of calm, surgical redirection that should be bottled and sold to other boards across the state. Without raising his voice, he cut off the scolding, clarified the rules, and put the conversation back in its lane—firmly and politely.
Board Member Tony Bostic tried to toss a procedural life raft by reminding the room that amendments can be brought from the floor.
Sure, Tony. And you can engage in public flatulence. But we don’t recommend it.
Then came the most grounded comment of the night, from longtime board member Dan Cash, who offered a clear, steady defense of school leadership:
“Just because they make a good wage doesn’t mean they don’t earn it.”
That was it. No grandstanding. Just a reminder that the folks running our schools—our principals, directors, and staff—aren’t phoning it in from the golf course.
The amendment? It failed. 3 yes, 8 no, 1 abstain.
No consensus. No plan. No allies. Just an awkward silence and a lesson in how not to conduct board business.
WW BOTTOM LINE:
If you want to advocate for classified staff—and you should—then bring your proposal to the actual meeting designed for debate. Don’t derail a final vote with a stunt. Don’t waste staff time. And don’t insult the intelligence of people who actually did their homework.
Dr. Johnson wanted a headline. She got one. Just not the one she wanted.
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TAX-SEASONED: NOLENSVILLE’S BUDGET BRUISES LAND WITH A $0.55 SPLASH
Nolensville just unveiled its FY2025–26 budget, and if you were hoping for fiscal restraint, well, bless your heart.
Ordinance 25-21 slaps the town’s property tax rate up from $0.29 to a bold, inflation-proof, gentrification-certified $0.55 per $100 of assessed value. Toss in the county’s fresh reassessments, and congratulations:
Your taxes just doubled, your questions tripled, and your trust got zeroed out.
So they held a public hearing. And by “public hearing,” we mean three minutes to scream into the abyss while the Board nods solemnly like they’re listening to NPR on half volume.
Residents lined up with questions, with frustration, with one polite demand: Why?
James Clark III saw it coming: “Now you’re basically going to triple the taxes, particularly on the business aspect of it.” His point? The town’s squeezing landlords, who will squeeze business owners, who will then either raise prices or fold. A perfect plan—if your goal is to become Franklin... without the economy.
Clark didn’t stop there: “Every account that you have shown here… you have a positive balance in every single one of those accounts.”
Not broke. Not behind. Just spending like it’s someone else’s wallet.
Aubrey Short, who literally helped incorporate the town, ran the numbers out loud. “I paid $277 last year… Now I’ll pay $526.”
And for what? A $250,000 investment in the Graystone Swarm Club property that no one asked for?
“I don’t know,” said Short. Neither does anyone else.
Dr. Joe Curtsinger labeled the whole thing “draconian” and requested an actual town hall with dialogue, questions, and some shred of accountability.
Imagine that—elected officials speaking to the public before they empty their pockets.
Even longtime civic booster Tommy Dugger agreed: “That’s something you might want to consider before second reading.”
Yes, Tommy. Yes, it is.
The town’s response? It’s not a tax hike. It’s a heart surgery.
Fire Chief David Windrow dropped the metaphor hammer: the town’s operations are like a heart drowning in fluid, struggling to function. He said, “The can has collapsed and rusted. You can’t even find the can to kick anymore.”
Maybe so. But when the treatment is open-wallet surgery and the doctor’s using a Kroger receipt for gauze, it’s okay to ask a few questions.
Enter Terry Adams, to remind you what really matters.
Terry, who once publicly lamented the town’s excess of ice cream shops, is now suddenly on board with aggressive public spending—just so long as it doesn’t involve sprinkles.
“If we don’t do the increase now, and you kick it down the road, then you’re going to be even further behind,” he said.
He called the budget “tight,” praised the town for having snow plows (in Tennessee), and gave the whole plan his enthusiastic stamp of approval.
So just to recap:
Fire stations? Build two.
Park spending? Absolutely.
Half-million-dollar tax hike on your family? Necessary.
But please—don’t open another Cold Stone. We have standards. And apparently, taxes for toppings.
WW BOTTOM LINE:
Nolensville doesn’t need your money—they just want it.
You might have one last shot to say something before this passes. Show up in June—or pay for it in July.
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FINAL FLUSH: STRIP THE CONSERVATIVES, PLATFORM THE DEMOCRATS
So let’s get this straight.
The Williamson County Republican Party is in the middle of an identity crisis. They’ve spent months attacking actual conservatives—threatening to strip bona fides, floating censure resolutions, and smearing fellow Republicans as RINOs for daring to disagree. They even turned their attention to Williamson County Conservatives, calling them “very dark purple,” as if believing in primary elections makes you a Democrat.
And then—get this—in the middle of all that ideological chest-thumping, they gave the stage to a former Tennessee Democratic Party field coordinator.
Yes, seriously.
Grace Stranch, CEO of Harpeth Conservancy, headlined last night’s WCRP “Mix and Mingle” at the Franklin Marriott. And she wasn’t just a casual guest with a canoe and a conservation tip—she’s a deeply embedded Democratic activist. Stranch ran field operations for the Tennessee Democratic Party, chaired the Middle Tennessee chapter of the Sierra Club, co-founded two chapters of a national progressive legal group, worked union-side in courtrooms, and served as a legal observer at left-wing protests. You don’t have to dig for her affiliations—it’s her actual résumé.
To be clear, this isn’t a personal attack on Grace Stranch. From everything we hear, she’s a perfectly nice person. This also isn’t a hit on Democrats. It’s about the choice made by a Republican Party that claims to be conservative—then turns around and gives its microphone to someone who is very clearly not.
And it would be one thing if the WCRP were known for openness. If they routinely welcomed dissenting views, brought in voices across the aisle, and encouraged honest debate—maybe this would make some kind of sense.
But they’re not. They blacklist. They gatekeep. They smear their own. And now they’re platforming activists who built their careers fighting against the very values the GOP claims to represent.
Here’s the contrast they don’t want you to notice:
Williamson County Conservatives hosted Michael Patrick Leahy—a conservative media founder, longtime Republican, and unapologetic fighter on the right.
While WCRP was fluffing the pillows, Tennessee Stands’ grassroots director Aimée Fletcher was online calling Williamson County Conservatives “not real conservatives,” accusing them of being establishment hacks, and warning her followers to “take names.”
And oh, we did, Aimée.
She even called The Williamson Herald a left-wing rag—the same paper her allies flood with op-eds, letters, and press releases week after week. Funny how it only seems to become “liberal media” right around the time your latest submission doesn’t get picked up.
These people don’t like true grassroots conservatives. The same Republicans who labeled grassroots conservatives “RINOs” for platforming red—just rolled out the red carpet for blue, with Tennessee Stands clapping from the front row.
What delicious irony.
The WCRP and its surrogates don’t stand for grassroots conservatism.
They just stand in the way of anyone who does—while applauding the opposition.
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You did it! You made it to the end. That’s it for The Dump this week.
And remember—we’ll be here next Friday. Same Dump time. Same Dump place.
Stay Wrong, Williamson.