Many thanks to FOX 17 reporter Dennis Ferrier for covering Tony Bates’ uphill battle in Alexandria, Tennessee. The story reads like a modern-day episode of The Dukes of Hazzard—minus the high-flying car jumps, but keeping all the small-town power dynamics. In Hazzard County, the plot always revolved around Boss Hogg using bureaucracy, selective enforcement, and local law enforcement to quash competition and protect the status quo. Anyone bringing big ideas for progress—or just trying to run an honest business—ran straight into a wall of red tape and sudden, unexplained delays.
Bates’ experience with the Alexandria beer board mirrors that classic story. When an outsider steps in with big plans to inject life, business, and capital into a sleepy square—complete with weekend car shows, live music, and a country market—the local establishment’s reaction often isn’t enthusiasm, but resistance. The indefinite postponement of his license meeting on flimsy procedural grounds, followed by nearly a year of complete silence and an attempt to quietly return his application fee, reflects the exact kind of backroom stonewalling that defined Hazzard County’s administrative antics. When the system uses delay tactics rather than clear votes, it shifts the focus from fair governance to power preservation.
The situation with the local police department further deepens the parallel. In Hazzard, law enforcement was rarely about community policing; it was a tool used by the town’s leadership to manage opposition and control local activity. The firing of former Police Chief K.D. Smith after he repeatedly advocated for events to bring people and commerce into town highlights a familiar small-town dynamic: officers who align too closely with the community’s desire for growth rather than the leadership’s desire for control often find themselves sidelined.
Ultimately, the story captures the classic battle between small-town stagnation and grassroots reform. When local systems refuse to budge through standard channels—like a beer board refusing to hold a meeting—it forces citizens to take direct action. Bates refusing the returned $500 fee and instead running for mayor is the real-world equivalent of the Duke boys taking to the back roads: a direct challenge to the establishment, leaving the decision of who actually controls the town’s future up to the voters at the ballot box.
If you’ve driven through Alexandria lately, you’ve probably noticed something.
Not much.
Vacant storefronts, aging buildings and a downtown that many residents say has been standing still for years.
Wilson County businessman Tony Bates believes that can change.
Downtown Alexandria, Tennessee, is at the center of a debate over economic development, city leadership and the future of the community as voters prepare to head to the polls in the upcoming mayoral election. (Photo: FOX 17 News)
You may recognize Bates from Tony Bates Ford, the dealership visible from Interstate 40 in Lebanon. What many people don’t know is his passion for restoring small Tennessee towns.
“What an opportunity to come up here and get this place kicking again,” Bates said. “What I love is to go back in time. You know that’s what I like. And I thought, why not come up here and invest in this community and get it going again.”
Bates purchased three buildings in downtown Alexandria and immediately started renovations. His vision included a country market, weekend car shows and live music on the town square.
But when he applied for a beer license to support those events, he says everything came to a halt.
“The beer board was supposed to have a meeting,” Bates said. “One of the aldermen spoke up and said I did not have all my stuff for the beer license meeting, which wasn’t true. Not only did I have all my surveys… I had my attorney here ready to represent me. So they postponed the meeting, and that was September.”
Nearly a year later, Bates says the beer board has still not held a meeting on his application.
At one point, a city employee attempted to return his $500 application fee. Bates refused to accept it.
Instead, he launched a campaign for mayor.
“Great people are here, and the people want this town to flourish,” Bates said. “But there’s a few people who don’t want it to do anything but decay.”
Questions Beyond the Beer License
The controversy extends beyond the license dispute.
Alexandria’s police department, once much larger, now operates with one full-time officer and one part-time officer.
Former Police Chief K.D. Smith says he repeatedly pushed for events that could bring people and businesses into town.
“Every time something was brought up, it would get shut down,” Smith said. “The town didn’t need that. And it was getting frustrating. Citizens were coming to me asking, ‘What can you do? Can you help us get this?'”
Smith was later fired.
Mayor Responds
FOX 17 asked Alexandria Mayor Jeff Ford about both the city’s struggling police department and Bates’ stalled beer license application.
On the police department, Ford acknowledged residents want additional officers.
“There’s a lot of us here that want to see the police force a little bit bigger,” Ford said. “I don’t see an objection with that right now.”
When asked why Bates’ beer license has not been considered, Ford declined to discuss specifics because of pending litigation.
“It’s here in court right now, so I’m kind of stuck without saying much,” Ford said. “It’s in court, so I’m kind of stuck there.”
Election Ahead
Alexandria voters head to the polls next week, with Bates hoping residents will embrace his vision for revitalizing the town.
FOX 17 is continuing to investigate additional questions involving Alexandria’s town government and will have more reports in the coming days.
