Smyrna receives Municipal League award for Excellence in Governance

As the community continues to experience rapid economic growth, leadership in the town of Smyrna continue to strive for efficient and effective government practices that enhance quality of life, improve municipal service delivery, and leverage economic assets.  

In recognition of the concerted efforts made by Smyrna officials to continuously assess local needs and assets while working together with citizens to create positive solutions and outcomes, the Tennessee Municipal League is pleased to present Smyrna with an award for Excellence in Governance. The award will be presented Tuesday, July 25, at the 83rd Annual Conference of the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) held at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.   

Much of the basis for Smyrna’s proactive approach to growth is the Town Comprehensive Plan, that directs the rapid development of the community in a way that involves all segments of the population and ensures the values of stakeholders will be upheld in the community. By planning ahead, Smyrna has been able to accomplish numerous major infrastructure investments including the $36 million expansion of their wastewater plant to a 9 million gallon per day capacity, the $8.5 million Olive Branch Utility expansion, and the Jefferson Pike Utilities expansion taking place in conjunction with the Sam Ridley Parkway Widening project. 

The $13 million Sam Ridley Parkway Widening Project is one of numerous transportation projects dealing with congestion and connectivity to other communities. The $10.5 million Enon Springs Road West Extension will connect with the Rocky Fork/McEwen Connector, a project that brought together officials from Smyrna, Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Rutherford and Williamson counties to connect Interstate 24 and Interstate 65. Smyrna is also working to implement a $2.1 million intelligent transportation system (ITS) interconnecting all 53 traffic signals at the town’s traffic operations center, allowing for the reduction of congestion, noise, and traffic issues more quickly.  

The town is also working to expand fire protection with the construction of Fire Hall No. 4. The facility has the potential to also serve as a police department and information services hub as well as space to accommodate community outreach needs with the $12.5 million project expected to begin this year.  

This year, Smyrna celebrates 40 years of partnership with Nissan, which has led to both an important relationship between the company and town as well as with Smyrna’s sister city of Zama, Japan. Looking toward its economic future, Smyrna recently sold nearly 41 acres and approved mixed-use development that will bring high-end retail, restaurant, office, residential, and hotel space to Stewart’s Landing. Further economic, education, and development will also be possible through the expansion of Google Fiber’s high speed broadband service to Smyrna this year.  

Residents of Smyrna have plenty of opportunities to get involved, have fun, and give back in their local community through the seasonal Smyrna Depot Farmers Market, Captain Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial and Top Gun Night Run 6K, the Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center and Splash Town facility, the Freedom Playground at Lee Victory Park, the Jefferson Springs Greenway Expansion to the Sharp Springs Natural Area, development of Cedar Stone Park, Annual Police and Fire Youth Academy, Kids Safety Day, and Smyrna Christmas Parade benefiting the Nourish Food Bank. 

The town is working on an accessibility transition plan to ensure all Smyrna residents can safely navigate their community and town facilities. Smyrna’s Love Where You Live Initiative encourages residents to show their town pride through beautification and has provided educational resources to reduce litter.  

Smyrna has managed to remain a town on the cutting-edge and encourage residents to invest both economically and personally in the community with no property tax increases in 10 years and a healthy general fund. The town recently earned a Standard and Poor’s rating of AAA and was a recipient of the GFOA Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for their most recent audit report. In fiscal year 2022 alone, Smyrna received more than $11 million in grant revenue, allowing the town to make important local investments.