- Andy Ogles consistently opposed increases to Tennessee's fuel and gas taxes in 2017, lobbying against the measures but was ultimately unsuccessful (Tennessee Lookout, Commercial Appeal, Tennessean).
- In 2020, Ogles advocated for increasing Maury County's sales tax to align with neighboring counties, citing the need to meet the demands of a growing community (Daily Herald).
- Ogles consistently promoted Tennessee's low-tax environment and right-to-work laws as key factors for business investment and economic reputation, highlighting the state's appeal to major corporations (Leaf-Chronicle, Tennessean).
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ogles strongly pushed for early reopening of the local economy, opposition to restrictions, and support for keeping businesses in Maury County open, often criticizing executive orders for harming the economy (Daily Herald 1, Daily Herald 2).
- Ogles emphasized the strong work ethic and reputation of Tennessee workers as a selling point for attracting investment, asserting that the state offered a high return on investment for companies (Leaf-Chronicle, Tennessean).
- Potential vulnerability: Ogles' unsuccessful efforts to block the fuel/gas tax increase in 2017 could be seen as a legislative defeat or lack of effectiveness in shaping state tax policy (Tennessee Lookout).
2017: Ogles Lobbied Against Tennessee Fuel Tax Increase But Was Unsuccessful According to Tennessee Lookout, "Ogles lobbied against the fuel tax increase five years ago but couldn’t turn it back." [Tennessee Lookout, 7/26/22]
2017: Andy Ogles Opposed Governor's Gas Tax Hike And Had No Plans To Run For Governor In 2018 According to Commercial Appeal, "More recently, Ogles was among a group of conservatives who mounted opposition to the governor's gas tax hike, which was enacted this year. Ogles has said he has no plans to run for governor in 2018, instead focusing on working to repeal the gas tax." [Commercial Appeal, 6/19/17]
2017: Andy Ogles Opposed Governor's Gas Tax Hike In Tennessee According to The Tennessean, "More recently, Ogles was among a group of conservatives who mounted opposition to the governor's gas tax hike, which was enacted this year." [Tennessean, 6/20/17]
2017: Andy Ogles Said He Had No Plans To Run For Governor And Intended To Focus On Gas Tax Repeal According to The Tennessean, "Ogles has said he has no plans to run for governor in 2018, instead focusing on working to repeal the gas tax." [Tennessean, 6/20/17]
February 2020: Andy Ogles Advocated For Maury County Sales Tax Increase According to The Daily Herald, "Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles and Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance President Wil Evans encouraged voters to approve the increase. Ogles told constituents that the increase would bring Maury County's sales tax to the same rate as its surrounding counties and that fellow Middle Tennessee counties including Cheatham, Sumner, Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson have all raised taxes to meet the needs of the growing communities." [Daily Herald, 12/31/20]
Andy Ogles Emphasized Tennessee's Low Taxes And Right-To-Work Status In 2021 According to The Leaf-Chronicle, 'We are a low-tax state and a rights-to-work state,' Ogles said. He explained workers in the state are gaining a good reputation, building credibility with some of the world's largest corporations. [Leaf-Chronicle, 10/12/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Attributed Economic Appeal Of Tennessee To Low Taxes And Right-To-Work Laws According to Tennessean, 'We are a low-tax state and a rights-to-work state,' Ogles said. [Tennessean, 10/13/21]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Urged Reopening Of Local Economy According to The Daily Herald, 'It is time to open the economy back up,' Ogles said. 'It is time to get this going.' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/21/20]
April 2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Public To Support Local Restaurants During COVID-19 Reopenings According to Daily Herald, 'The county mayor encourages the public to get out and support local businesses.' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 4/28/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Voiced Support For Keeping Maury County Open For Business During COVID-19 According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles recently told members of the Maury County Commission stating that he plans on hosting similar events in the future to bring more visitors into the county. 'As we look at tourism, we are in the news,' Ogles said. 'For better or worse, we are in the news. I strive ... to keep Maury County in the news reminding people we are open of business. Growth is coming. I think Tennessee is better suited to survive a recession, but I feel that a recession is looming.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/25/20]
Ogles Stated He Sought To Keep Businesses Open During Early Pandemic According to Daily Herald, 'In that chaos, my objective was to keep Maury County open for business,' Ogles said. 'I could not afford to let our downtown square close. We are not Nashville. We don't have hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on tourism.' [Daily Herald, 10/5/21]
Andy Ogles Highlighted Tennesseans' Reputation For Work Ethic In 2021 According to The Leaf-Chronicle, 'Tennesseans are known for their work ethic,' Ogles said. 'We are a friendly people and all of those factors are important if you are a General Motors or a Ford.' [Leaf-Chronicle, 10/12/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Stated Tennessee Workers Had Gained A Reputation For Dedication According to Tennessean, 'Tennesseans are known for their work ethic,' Ogles said. 'We are a friendly people and all of those factors are important if you are a General Motors or a Ford.' [Tennessean, 10/13/21]
May 2020: Ogles Criticized COVID-19 Executive Orders' Economic Impact According to The Daily Herald, "Our economy is being systematically being destroyed by these executive orders. These will have lasting effects not only on Maury County and Middle Tennessee, but the whole country." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 5/28/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Advocated for Lifting Economic Restrictions at Maury County Fair According to Daily Herald, "We must get this economy open and on all cylinders," Ogles continued on Sunday. "It is a successful event. I am not saying that there are not going to be COVID cases because of it. But what I did was give you the freedom and the choice for yourself. It is time open things back up so that not a single job is lost here in Tennessee, especially here in Maury County." [Daily Herald, 9/8/20]
Andy Ogles Stated Tennessee Had Proven A Good State For Investment By 2021 According to The Leaf-Chronicle, 'The fact that you can operate at lower costs and will have hard workers, if you are investing millions of dollars, you have to make sure there is a return on that investment,' Ogles said. 'And Tennessee has been proven to be one of the best states in the country to do that.' [Leaf-Chronicle, 10/12/21]
2021: Andy Ogles Linked Tennessee’s Business Climate To High Return On Investment According to Tennessean, 'The fact that you can operate at lower costs and will have hard workers, if you are investing millions of dollars, you have to make sure there is a return on that investment,' Ogles said. 'And Tennessee has been proven to be one of the best states in the country to do that.' [Tennessean, 10/13/21]