MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The very public financial and legal dispute between the town of Mason, Tennessee, and the state comptroller’s office thankfully has been resolved. All it took was less harsh rhetoric and more willingness to compromise.
You may recall that Mason’s long-running financial troubles led to Comptroller Jason Mumpower taking the unprecedented – and incorrect step of sending letters to town residents urging them to press their elected leaders to give up the town’s charter.
But the leaders wisely refused. And immediately, the comptroller took almost total control of the town’s finances. That led to a lawsuit and national media attention, since the majority black town was being forced to relinquish political control to the majority white Tipton County government leaders.
This week, Mason reached an agreement with the comptroller that relaxes the state oversight as the town continues to work on getting its finances in order. All of this is important because Mason stands to get a tremendous economic boost from Ford’s Blue Oval City truck assembly plant just minutes away in Haywood County.
Without question, Mason’s finances are in bad shape. They have been that way for decades, and started when the town’s leaders were all white. But Mumpower was too heavy handed in addressing the problems now.
And NAACP leaders deserve credit for helping forge an agreement that gives the historic town a fighting chance to not just survive – but prosper.