Tennessee To Seize Financial Control Of Majority-Black Town Located Near Future $5.6B Ford Plant

Tennessee’s comptroller is moving forward with a financial takeover of Mason, a predominantly Black town located about 5 miles from Ford’s future $5.6B electric truck and battery plant.

The announcement comes after the town’s elected officials approved a resolution to retain Mason’s charter, according to Governing.com. The March 14 vote came in response to an ultimatum issued by state Comptroller Jason Mumpower in February that mandated either Mason relinquish its 153-year-old charter or lose control of its finances.

Residents of Mason are skeptical of Mumpower’s rationale for the takeover, which he claims rests on a 20-year history of financial mismanagement by town leaders. 

“The citizens and taxpayers of Mason deserve a financially sound government,” Mumpower said in a statement. “By closely supervising the town’s finances, we will put Mason on a path toward fiscal responsibility.”

Critics of the decision say it is intended to strip control from Mason’s majority-Black elected officials just as the town is expected to reap the benefits of Ford’s plant in Blue Oval City. The plant is one of the largest manufacturing investments in the state’s history and is expected to generate 26,000 jobs once operational in 2025, according to the Tennessee Lookout.

“It’s because of the Black people that are in office,” Vice Mayor Virginia Rivers said in an interview with the Tennessee Lookout. “And it’s because of all the places in the world Blue Oval could have selected, they selected here. There’s no way Mason won’t prosper and grow. And now they want to take it away from us.”

Officials from Ford Motor Co. say they are in talks with Mumpower about the takeover; however, the Tennessee Lookout reported that elected officials in Mason hadn't heard from Ford as of March 18. 

Mumpower denies allegations that race played a role in his decision. A news release from his office said all expenditures involving taxpayer or ratepayer money must be reviewed and approved, and the town must pay back about $600K it owes to its water and sewer fund by June 2024. It also requires the town to operate on a balanced budget.

Mason officials and the comptroller are scheduled to discuss the arrangement at a meeting on Tuesday.