Image Credit: City of Brentwood, Tennessee Government / Facebook
Submitted by David Rivera –
Brentwood has a reputation as a place where politics is practiced but rarely discussed. As far back as anyone can remember, local elections have been sleepy, nonpartisan affairs where only a few hundred people turn out to vote. But this year’s contest to elect three City Commissioners has been roiled by accusations of unethical behavior by multiple candidates.
At stake is whether the city will move forward with its controversial plan to build and operate a multi-million-dollar racquet sports facility, paid from Brentwood’s rainy-day fund, which would be the largest non-essential expenditure in the history of the city.
A seven-member City Commission governs Brentwood, a city of 45,000, and appoints the mayor from within its ranks. Mayor Mark Gorman is widely acknowledged to be the ringleader of the so-called Gang of Four, commissioners who operate and vote in lockstep.
Two members of the Gang of Four, Gorman and Allison Spears, are up for re-election. If both hold their seats, they will retain their majority on the City Commission and will have the votes to move forward with their plan to build the racquet center without public input.
Two years ago, Williamson County approached the City of Brentwood and offered to split the construction costs on a new indoor tennis and pickleball center. The county also offered to run the facility in perpetuity. This would have been a very good deal for the city: the county has a much larger tax base and has experience running multiple athletic facilities, something Brentwood has never done.
The Brentwood City Commission was set to vote on whether to allow the city and county to discuss the viability of the partnership. But in a surprise move, the Gang of Four voted to table discussions with the county indefinitely. Instead, they decided to create an ad-hoc committee, chaired by Commissioner Spears and made up of tennis and pickleball enthusiasts, to draw up a proposal for a city-built, city-run racquet center.
It should have surprised no one that the ad-hoc committee came up with a plan to build a state of the art, city-owned facility. The commission, in a 4-3 vote, endorsed the plan and budgeted $997,500 – an astounding sum – to design the facility. The final cost of construction? That depends on who you ask.
Proponents say it will run $13 million; Other commissioners say the more realistic figure is $20 million. Either figure excludes the ongoing cost of managing the facility. The city will hire four new employees – who would be among the highest-paid public employees in Brentwood — to run tennis and pickleball. But day-to-day operations of the massive structure would be handled by a third party.
Several companies have applied for the multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract to run the racquet center; one of them, Kemper Sports, has close ties to Mayor Gorman. Kemper’s chief counsel, Russ Morgan, hosted a campaign fundraiser for Gorman on April 8. Morgan has also represented the controversial Remnant Fellowship in numerous legal disputes.
Gorman and Kemper’s strained relationship with the Governor’s Club neighborhood and private golf course in Brentwood has prompted an ethics inquiry into Gorman’s conduct. In 2022, the neighborhood Property Owners Association hired AtoZ Subdivision Management to manage their gated community. AtoZ is owned by Gorman’s wife but managed by Mark Gorman himself. Gorman pitched AtoZ as the best solution to the Governor’s Club’s longstanding issues with Kemper, which manages the golf course.
Two and a half years later, AtoZ was fired, and attorneys representing the Governor’s Club filed an ethics inquiry against Gorman. The Governor’s Club argues that Gorman had a conflict of interest in managing an HOA while also serving as a Commissioner and Mayor. They also say he failed to disclose his close ties to Kemper. The Governors Club asked that Gorman recuse himself from any votes relating to the neighborhood. And they revealed that in at least one instance, Gorman paid a Governor’s Club expense with funds from his personal checking account.
The more people in Brentwood heard about the proposed racquet facility, the more questions they had. City Commission meetings have been dominated by residents testifying that they were opposed to the plan and asking the Commissioners to let people decide for themselves by putting a referendum on the ballot this year. The Gang of Four refused, calling a referendum a “dangerous precedent” despite the fact that many, much smaller projects had been put to public vote in the past.
The latest twist came on March 31, when a Brentwood resident filed an ethics complaint against City Commissioner Rhea Little, who is running for re-election as part of a slate of candidates opposed to Gorman and Spears. The ethics complaint was brought by Rebecca Martinez, who is the co-chair of the Brentwood Racquet Facility Ad Hoc Committee.
Martinez argued that Little violated Tennessee sunshine laws when he mistakenly hit reply all while replying to a constituent laying out reasons why he was opposed to the racquet center, inadvertently sending the email to all six of his fellow City Commissioners.
How did Martinez get a copy of an email which was not addressed to her? And why did she wait six months after the email was sent, until the eve of the election, to file her complaint?
Both of these are valid questions, which Martinez could have addressed if she had attended the City Commission meeting where the matter was discussed. But she did not. The Gang of Four voted to pay outside counsel to investigate the matter. They have not taken any similar action regarding the Governor’s Club’s ethics inquiry against Mayor Gorman.
As I drive through Brentwood, I see red, white and blue yard signs dotting the manicured acre lots. Some homes have two signs, for Gorman and Spears; others have three, for their challengers: Rhea Little, Kim Smithson Gawrys and Janet Donahue.
The battle lines in Brentwood have been drawn. The polls are now open. It’s likely the future of the city will be decided by only a handful of votes. Which way will Brentwood go?
About the Author: David Rivera is a documentary director and producer who lives in Brentwood, Tennessee.
12 Responses
What’s in this article is true and an excellent summary.
I used to support Gorman and Spears (donations, signs, etc.) but now I don’t trust them and oppose them. I want honest government and not deception and backroom stuff.
This is the most important election in Brentwood’s history.
If you’re in Brentwood, please vote for the other 3 – Little, Gawrys and Donahue. They are honest.
If you want more info, check NextDoor – there are lots of posts there. Early voting is today thru Thursday May 1 at the Library from 8 to 6 and Election Day is Tuesday May 6 from 7 to 7. Vote at the Library.
This is completely false information. I was the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee…..examples of the lies in this OPINION article: 1) The Complaint against Rhea Little is Tn State Law when he ordered the Brentwood IT Director to take an email off other Commissioners servers….this is a CLASS E FELONY in Tennessee 2) The felony violation was not publically known when it happened….Commissinor Little ordered illegal removal of the email on a week end to try to hide his criminal behavior 3) The $13 million estimate includes costs of management 4) The County proposal was a terrible deal for Brentwood, which is why the City chose more due diligence ….Williamson County has over $1 billion in debt from mismanagement I don’t know who this political Hack that wrote this article is (David Rivera) but he has put forth lies and misinformation about Brentwood and this project. Shame on Tennessee Conservative for letting this Liberal David Rivera put this information on their site. signed Garry Latimer garrylatimer@gmail.com……former supporter of Tennessee Conservative
What Mr. Lattimer fails to mention is that this is “his” project. He was the chair of the committee of tennis enthusiasts who decided that the best use of taxpayer money was to support their tennis habit. 1) There is no way to call this a conservative’s project. It is a government boondoggle. 2). It will be a massive liability to the taxpayers regardless of the “income” the tennis players claim, 3) It will create a crazy amount of traffic in an otherwise already jammed up area of town – and for whom? Tennis players? and finally 4). the Gang of Four that support it on the Commission are refusing to allow a Bond Referndum for the people to speak. So, when Mr. Lattimer speaks, he only speaks through the bullhorn of the guy who actually developed the proposal and will benefit – he does not speak for the residents who have worked hard to keep Brentwood the most conservatively run city in the state. So let’s talk about the subject – let’s stay focused on the topic that Mr. Rivera was so wise to point out. When people are yelling for us to look the other way and pay attention to other things they are often trying to cover up their own weaknesses.
Devin, I was appointed amount 40 volunteers…elected Chair by her volunteers……Yes, I have dedicated lots of time and energy to this project mainly because of the more than 700 Youth (in 2023) that are still on a wait list and Brentwood is going to lose 23 of 43 courts when Maryland Farms closes.
I have no personal gain except maybe satisfaction of seeing more Youth engaged and some of us maybe having a smaller facility that is fully paid for by the Users.
The one who has personal gain is You and your Williamson Inc friends like RHEA AND ANDREWS…..You are a Commercial Real Estate Broker building Condos in downtown Franklin…..Making $$$$ in Commercial Real Estate Developement…….Rhea and Dunn already approved and built 400 apartments in Brentwood before called Tapestry……with then Citizen Andrews cheering.
Finally, if we were to go to a Crockett Park Facility with 7-8 Tennis Courts after losing 23….how is that causing more traffic……you are a dishonest person trying to fool Brentwood residents with your ” Community Leader” fake narrative
In response to Mr. Latimer:
I was incorrect when I wrote that Allison Spears was the chair of the ad-hoc committee. Though she served on the committee, it was indeed Mr. Latimer who chaired it. It was my error, and I would like to apologize to the Tennessee Conservative News and its readers for my mistake.
I stand behind everything else I wrote.
The complaint against Commissioner Little is complicated and in the interest of brevity I did not go into greater depth in my op-ed. At issue is an email that Little wrote to a resident who had written to the entire Commission about the racquet center project. Little wrote back and accidentally clicked “reply all,” thereby copying all the other Commissioners. He then used a feature, available to all Commissioners, to recall the email from the inboxes of his fellow Commissioners. Whether this occurred on a weekend seems immaterial, since Little recalled his email on the same day he sent it. What no one has yet answered is how Rebecca Martinez, who is also the co-chair of the Racquet Facility Committee, received a copy of a deleted email to which she was not an addressee, or why she waited six months to file the complaint on the eve of the election.
At any rate, outside counsel is now looking into the ethics complaint against Little. I would submit that if Mr. Latimer indeed believes that Little committed a CLASS E FELONY, he should refer the case to the office of the Tennessee Attorney General.
In January the City of Brentwood estimated the cost of constructing the racquet facility at almost $15 million. That’s just design and construction. See here on page 6:
https://www.brentwoodtn.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7261/638411806652800000
On 4/22 Mr. Latimer e-mailed many Brentwood voters claiming that “Thanks to Representative Gino Bulso… the City of Brentwood will have the opportunity to partner with a private individual or company on a Racquet Facility—and we already have a highly interested private partner!” This appears to refer to HB0065, a bill sponsored by Rep. Bulso and passed in the last legislative session, which allows a city to contact with a private entity for “development, construction, management, or operation of an indoor or outdoor sports facility.” Rep. Bulso has said he filed the bill at the behest of the City of Brentwood. But neither Gorman or any of the other Gang of Four have admitted to asking Bulso to file the bill, and claim no knowledge of it. What does Mr. Latimer know? And who is the “highly interested private partner” he writes about?
The City of Brentwood Finance Department recommended a $5 million bond issue for the racquet facility. Why do Mr. Latimer and the Gang of Four believe they know better than the city’s own finance department? Many residents believe they are afraid of a public vote on whether to issue bonds.
Lastly, Mr. Latimer calls me a “Liberal.” I have been called worse, though evidently Mr. Latimer believes there can be no greater epithet. What is a matter of public record is the fact that I have voted consistently and exclusively in Republican primaries for years. I am also a Brentwood resident. I reached out to the Tennessee Conservative News because, even though I do not always agree with them, they are steadfast and consistent in their conservative principles. And the prospect of constructing a multi-million-dollar project for a minority of taxpayers, at public expense, paying in cash, and refusing to let voters have a say in the matter, in my opinion, anything but conservative.
Excellent article and reply. The project is now much larger than the 1-18-24 Cost Estimate was based on. The $13 million cost estimate was by the County over 2 years ago when it was a “Recreation” facility without spectator seating and was 6 indoor tennis courts and 8 pickleball courts. Now it’s 8 indoor tennis courts, 8 pickleball courts, 200 seats for spectators on an “elevated platform”, and a restaurant and retail space so they can maximize the profits from Tennis Tournaments. The building is 90,000 SF – the size of 2 football fields. Recreational tennis courts have 33 foot ceilings – Tournament Tennis courts have 43 foot high ceilings – they cost more. Their ProForma shows three $120,000 salaries that they want Brentwood to pay. They could have taken a Poll, but they don’t care what the citizens want. An impartial expert estimated a $20 million cost and that’s my bet. The tennis group and Gorman and Spears want to make the cost sound low. I hope Gorman loses, but if he is re-elected, I wouldn’t be surprised if the “partner” is a buddy of his and gets a can’t-lose deal.
I think what’s going on is an effort to build a “Political Machine” by using Brentwood’s money to build a Tennis Facility for hard-core tennis players in return for their votes. That fits and they were even giving out a flyer to the tennis players.
Read Latimer’s comment above and you will see the kind of people we’re dealing with. Can you imagine them being in charge? The “Gang of Four” is a good description of them.
– See the October 28 2024 Design Specifications – Proof that it’s an Indoor Tennis Tournament Arena in a 90,000 SF building with “elevated” seating on a platform for 200 spectators >
http://cobaq.brentwoodtn.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=4&get_year=2025&dsp=agm&seq=8483&rev=0&ag=1484&ln=26051&nseq=8482&nrev=0&pseq=&prev=#ReturnTo26051
– The ProForma is on page 43 of > https://www.brentwoodtn.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7188
Garry Latimer who posted above is a big tennis player and wants to get Gorman and Spears elected because they will build a $20 million Indoor Tennis Tournament Arena with elevated seating on a “platform” for 200 spectators. His ProForma shows three $120,000 salaries, that he wants Brentwood to pay. You can see the kind of guy Latimer is from what he wrote – yep. The article truthfully describes the coordinated political attack on Rhea Little. The $13 million cost estimate is from 2 years ago when it was a “Recreation” facility without spectator seating and was 6 indoor tennis courts. Now it’s 8 indoor tennis courts and 200 seats for spectators and a restaurant and retail space so they can maximize the profits from Tennis Tournaments. The County Proposal was a good deal that Gorman and Spears killed because it was a Recreation facility, not a big “Tournament” facility (they want a building as big as 2 Football Fields), and they want Tournaments and three $120,000 salaries. That group tries to bully people. Brentwood has NEVER built a non-essential special interest recreational project unless the group wanting it raised money. Even the people who wanted a Playground for Special Needs Kids raised $700,000. Has Latimer’s Tennis group raised any money? Take a guess. Ask him. And they want “Private” management. All of Brentwood’s recreational facilities are managed by the City or County. Why Private? Suspicious. Ask him.
I’ve donated to Tennessee Conservative News several times. Has Latimer?
David H is a Commercial Real Estate Broker who brags that he has sold more Commercial Real Estate in Cool Springs than anyone else……David portrays himself as a Conservative and then joins Liberals to attack Conservatives….He is one of the reasons Williamson Inc loves to see in action so they can come into Brentwood and build more apartments like Rhea Little, Ann Dunn and Nelson Andrews approved called Tapestry…..He completely fabricates stories not true…..Example: He made up that the Racquet Facility has 200 seat grad stand….As Chairman of the Racquet Committee, I will and all Committee members will support THERE WAS NEVER EVEN A DISCUSSION ABOUT A GRAND STAND……..completley made up as one example of many……..Brentwood Real Conservatives, dismiss this Bad Character…..if you engage with him, you will determine very quickly he is not to be taken seriously . garrylatimer@gmail.com 615 969 5520
David Rivera is a Liberal who is joined by Liberal Tom Carr and David H and Devin and Nelson Andrews trying to hijack a Conservative Newsletter with lies and false information……..To my Real Conservative Friends: Liberals are trying to constantly Hijack Conservative news mainly because they know most do not support their Liberal Platforms……please do not tolerate it….. Shame on you Brandon Lewis for letting David Rivera write an opinion piece used by his Liberal friends to hijack an election in Brentwood. And Yes, thank you Gino for passing a new bill that helps the resident of Brentwood even if Liberal Commissioners Dunn Little and Andrews are complaining because their Liberal Narrative has now been disrupted!
When arguments fail, name-calling is the last resort. Please enumerate the “lies” in my article. My goal as a journalist is to present the facts as I understand them and let the voters of Brentwood make their own decision. I applaud Tennessee Conservative News for their commitment to journalistic integrity.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to answer my questions on the record. I know you have my email. I would also welcome the opportunity to interview Mark Gorman or Allison Spears on the record. If Gorman has given an interview in the last few weeks, I have not seen it. He was the only candidate who refused an interview with the Williamson Scene.
Or you may use this forum to answer some of the questions which I, and many other Brentwood residents have:
1) How did Rebecca Martinez, your co-chair on the committee, receive a copy of an email that was not addressed to her, and which was deleted within hours of being sent? And why did she wait six months to file her ethics complaint against Rhea Little?
2) Who asked Gino Bulso to sponsor HB0065?
3) What is the extent of the relationship between Mark Gorman and Kemper?
4) Did you attend the campaign event organized by Russ Morgan, who is an attorney for Kemper? Was money raised for Gorman’s campaign at this event?
5) Why do you and the Gang of Four disagree with the City of Brentwood Finance Department, which recommended a $5 million bond issue to pay for the racquet facility? This would seem to be a best of both worlds solution, by allowing the city to pay the bulk of the cost of the project in cash, while also letting the citizens of Brentwood decide for themselves if they want to move forward with this project.
Mr Latimer, it is unfortunate that you feel that folks who don’t want to spend as much as $16-$22 million in taxpayer money on a membership based tennis arena in an already clogged park are “liberal” or “liars”. You are a tennis advocate – which is great for you – and I’m sure you’ve served the tennis community for many years. However, the money – OUR MONEY – that is collected in property tax dollars is subject to our voices and should not be used on overpriced projects that benefit you and elite tennis players who live in Brentwood (and bring traffic with all of the tournaments you want to run) when more, inexpensive, outdoor courts will more than suffice. This all started when your fellow supporters on the Commission started reducing the budget for sidewalks and bike paths which are free and usable by all citizens and squirreling away funds to “pay” for your hobby. Let’s build some outdoor courts and then you, along with the tennis community, can start raising private funds to put bubbles on them for all weather use. If you would stop calling people names and have a logical conversation, I think that you would find that most of us true conservatives would support some spending on outdoor courts. And please, save us the lecture on how outdoor courts are so expensive that you might as well build a dome anyway…
This discussion is 100% about the responsible use of tax dollars. I would not feel differently if it were for another high-space/few participant sport. Its not the government’s job to pay for your hobby. If this thing will make so much money as you have claimed, go buy land just on the edge of Brentwood and build one.
Garry, you disgust me. You are self-serving and repeatedly lie. You have attacked many people.
You are NOT a role model for conservatives – you lie and try to intentionally deceive!!! One example is below.
Shame on you.
Look at what Garry wrote above – he says I “made up that the Racquet Facility has 200 seat grad stand”
But I have proof – he never gives proof.
Below is a link to the Specifications for the Facility on the Brentwood website. Here’s what it says >
“Space for limited scale spectator seating – approximately 200 occupants
Possible elevated viewing platform area in the tennis portion of the facility”
Here’s the link >
http://cobaq.brentwoodtn.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=4&get_year=2025&dsp=agm&seq=8483&rev=0&ag=1484&ln=26051&nseq=8482&nrev=0&pseq=&prev=#ReturnTo26051
And here’s a link to a 4-28-25 article about the Ethics Complaint filed against Gorman.
If anyone is uncertain about how to vote – read this article. It says > “The “ethics inquiry” into Brentwood Mayor Mark Gorman has now evolved into an official ethics complaint, alleging that he used his position on the Board of Commissioners to obtain private business deals and failed to disclose any potential conflicts of interest when voting as a commissioner.”
Birds of a Feather Flock Together.
https://www.williamsonscene.com/news/ethics-complaint-filed-against-brentwood-mayor-mark-gorman/article_6ccd7b1e-2132-4850-8471-cdb1f09cf71f.html