'We can't have nasty': Altercation disrupts relationship of Mayor Joe Carr and commission

We the people trust our elected leaders will avoid altercations when watching over our tax dollars.

An altercation, however, did take place on Aug. 7 after a government committee meeting between Rutherford County five-year Commissioner Craig Harris and first-year Mayor Joe Carr. Harris on Aug. 17 offered a public apology to fellow commissioners and the mayor without providing details.

The confrontation was not at a bar or sports event. What happened took place in the courtroom chambers of the Rutherford County Courthouse in the center of Murfreesboro's downtown Public Square. The location is where our county leaders meet to make tax and funding decisions for schools, public safety, solid waste operations and many other services.

Senior commissioners recently talked to Harris separately and privately about his conduct being passionate at his best and nasty at his worst, Commissioner Michael Kusch said.

"We can’t have nasty," Kusch said. "We’re trying to get over the hump."

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Mayor has concerns about his relationship with commission

The altercation continues to concern the mayor. He worries about his relationship with a county commission that kept Harris as the chairman of the Steering, Legislative and Governmental Committee rather than choose another commissioner for the leadership role following the altercation.

"It appears that the county commission is unwilling to take this matter seriously as evidenced by their reappointment of this commissioner as chairman of the steering committee," Carr said. "It leaves me no choice but to reconsider my options as to how I'm going to engage with the county commission going forward."

Carr won his seat in August 2022 after capturing the Republican primary against runner up Rhonda Allen, a former county commissioner, and Bill Ketron, the former mayor backed by Commissioner Harris.

The steering committee led by Harris proposes resolutions on legislation for the Tennessee General Assembly to consider, and recommends the appointment of people to serve on various county committees and boards, including ones led by the mayor. Carr, for example, serves as chairman of the Juvenile Detention Board that Harris worked to establish prior to the August 2022 election of Carr and reelection of Harris.

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The first year of Carr's term that started September 2022 broke from tradition of past mayors serving as the chairman of the county commission and presiding over meetings. Carr campaigned that he believed in separation of powers between the executive branch of the mayor's office and the legislative branch of the commission. So the 21-member commission now has veteran Commissioner Jeff Phillips serving as the chairman to preside over their meetings.

Carr instead has veto power over commission decisions, but the commission can override a veto with a majority vote. The mayor is yet to exercise his veto authority.

But did this change from tradition create a power vacuum for a county commission that was used to the mayor providing legislative leadership by presiding over meetings?

"The priority of this mayor is to move the county forward without regard to how egos and personalities may hinder that," Carr said.

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Carr and Harris have worked together on issues

The altercation occurred despite Harris being a strong supporter of Carr's recommendation for a 16.1% property tax hike in the mayor's first year in county office. The increase funds the rising costs of public services in fast-growing Rutherford, rebuilds rainy day reserves and reduces a budget deficit from $64 million the previous year to $7.5 million.

Harris said he agreed with the mayor’s numbers on the tax and budget issues.

"If something is good for Rutherford County no matter my personal feelings, I am for it," Harris said. "I will support anything the mayor has that is for the betterment of Rutherford County. If I don’t think that it’s good for Rutherford County, I’ll fight tooth and nail. My personal feelings on the mayor when it comes to government are irrelevant."

Both Carr and Harris want more revenues from development to help pay for the cost of growth, such as funding the $156.3 million in expansions and renovations for overcrowded Riverdale, Smyrna and Oakland high schools.

Carr and Harris are each champions of helping people with drug addiction issues.

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Harris serves as chairman of the county's Opioid Board that recommends allocations from Rutherford's cut of a class-action settlement from pharmaceutical industry to not-profit services to help people with addictions.

The mayor's recommended budget for this year committed $1.5 million to expand and upgrade Recovery Court services for nonviolent offenders, including veterans, with drug, alcohol and mental health issues. Recovery Court allows people with drug and alcohol related offenses to serve alternative sentences to remain out of jail while they work, pass random drug tests, and pursue counseling and courses designed to help them live sober and sane lives.

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What led to the altercation

Although Harris and Carr have worked together on issues, they faced conflict following the Aug. 7 meeting. Harris wanted the commission steering committee he leads as chairman to be provided with more information about the work of county contracted state lobbyist Will Denami before renewing the arrangement recommended by Carr.

The committee voted 4-3 to renew Denami's contract by $75,000 to pursue more state funding for Rutherford, and changes in the law to allow the county to pursue development taxes and impact fees favored by Carr and the commission.

The commission by Aug. 17 agreed to renew the lobbyist contract. Commissioner Phillips, who's chairman of the full commission, described the conflict about providing information on the lobbyist's work as being a misunderstanding.

"It was part my fault, part the steering committee's fault, part the mayor's fault, part the lobbyist fault," Phillips said.

The lobbyist going forward will update the mayor, commission chairman Phillips, the steering committee and steering committee chairman Harris on the efforts to persuade lawmakers on the county's positions, Phillips said.

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Carr's version: Altercation was 'without any warning'

Mayor Carr responded to questions from The Daily News Journal through an email statement that described his account of an altercation he said was started by Harris after the Aug. 7 meeting ended. A security camera without sound captured the the tense exchange that's been shared on the Facebook page of Rutherford County Politics.

"At the conclusion of the Steering Committee, Chairman Harris turned to me and without any warning repeatedly started cussing at me saying, 'We are going to have a (expletive) meeting, we are not doing this (expletives) anymore. I am tired of this (expletives).' He repeated this several times dropping the f-bomb."

The mayor's statement also said he got up to walk away before telling Harris, "We are not doing this Craig."

"I continued to walk away," the mayor said. "At this point he hollered at me, 'That is what you do you, always walk away, you're nothing but a coward.'

"I immediately turned and started walking back toward Craig, and he started to charge me. We continued our heated exchange where I told him repeatedly 'not to cuss me, if you want to meet with me you can but you won't cuss me.'

"It was at this point that Harris said on multiple occasions, 'Hit me, hit me, go ahead and hit me, come on hit me.' I told Harris, 'I am not going to hit, are you crazy? You are dense.'

"Again, Craig starts to cuss at me again at which point I follow him telling him he is not going to cuss me. We continue to cross-talk. The last portion of the video Craig threatens me saying, 'I am going to (expletive) get you for this, I am going to get you, I am coming after you.' At this point I turn and walk away."

Two witnesses wanting their names to be withheld for publication shared with The Daily News Journal about what happened in the altercation involving Harris and Carr.

Both witnesses suggested they heard Harris say, "hit me," to Carr. One witness reported hearing Harris curse and call Carr a "coward" while the other witness described hearing Harris telling the mayor, "you are weak."

The Daily News Journal contacted steering committee members, but none of them suggested they witnessed what took place in the altercation.

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Harris' version: Trying 'to work with the mayor'

Harris offered a different account than Carr of what happened during phone interviews after the Aug. 7 meeting.

"I categorically deny that I was cussing and screaming,” Harris said. “That’s a lie.”

"I offered to try to find a way to work with the mayor," Harris said. "He felt he didn’t need to do that. He got up in my face."

Harris said he recalled asking the mayor, "What are you going to do? Hit me?"

"He was upset," said Harris, noting the issue involved the mayor failing to give reports to the steering committee about the work of the lobbyist.

"And the lobbyist confirmed he gave reports to Joe Carr, and Joe Carr refused to give reports to the steering committee," Harris said. "And I guess he was upset that was exposed and his temper overtook him."

Harris said there was no screaming in the exchange.

"As far as the mayor goes, he’s a very head strong, aggressive person," Harris said. "I’m the same. We both want Rutherford County to succeed. We just disagree on the way to get there."

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Harris apologizes to commission and mayor

The altercation had zero impact on preventing Harris from remaining in his leadership position with the 21-member commission. All but Commissioner Laura Davidson voted 19-1 on Aug. 17 to keep Harris on the steering committee. Commissioner Robert Peay Jr. was absent.

The committee members then voted 5-2 for Harris to remain as their chairman. Commissioner Michael Wrather and Kusch voted for Kusch to replace Harris. Committee Vice Chairman Pettus Read joined fellow Commissioners Allen McAdoo, Jonathan Beverly, Paul Johnson and Harris to keep Harris as chairman.

The steering chairman also leads the process of appointing commissioners to other committee assignments, including for budget, education and public safety operations of the government.

After the reappointment of Harris as the steering committee chairman, he soon stepped up to the meeting lectern to apologize to the commissioners and the mayor. He mentioned speaking in the presence of a Middle Tennessee Christian School football players and fathers while they were engaged in a tradition of putting decals on the helmets.

"All these kids were just on every word I said, and their parents (were) on every word I said," Harris said, adding that this experience made him realize, “the way I act and talk has consequences.”

"I have failed you. And I owe an apology to each and every one of you. I have allowed my emotions to affect the way that I govern. There’s some people in here that I care deeply about. There’s some I love. And I've let them down. And for me to stand up here in humiliation and to apologize to you, is exactly what I should do."

The apology left out details but did mention the mayor.

"Me and Mayor Carr want the best for Rutherford County," Harris said while at the meeting lectern to face the commissioners. "We do. We just disagree on how to get there. That’s his words. That’s my words. But he is one of the leaders of this county. And he deserves respect."

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Harris turned to face Carr during the apology.

"And Mayor Carr, I don’t expect you to accept it, but I formally apologize.”

Harris then faced commissioners to finish his apology.

“And I hope that we can go forward. And I want to apologize to my peers. Cause I don’t ever want to get up here again, and I’ll do my best not to. Thank you."

Some of the commissioners applauded after Harris apologized.

The mayor, however, said after the meeting that he does not plan to attend steering committee meetings still led by Harris following the altercation.

"I will respect the county commission's decision, but I will no longer allow myself to be dragged into confrontation and uncontrollable emotional outbursts," Carr said. "Our words and actions must have consequences."

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Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottBroden. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Altercation disrupts relationship of Mayor Joe Carr and commission