Metro Nashville City Council Approved Downtown Sales Tax Increase

 

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Metro Nashville City Council approved a resolution increasing the sales tax for downtown businesses. The .25 percent tax increase will go into effect July 1. According to the Metro Nashville Finance Department, the estimated revenue from this increase amounts to at least $2.4 million.

Per the state law, certain businesses are exempted from the sales tax increase: professional services, transient lodging, tickets for sporting or other live events, alcoholic beverages, newspapers or other publications, and overnight or long-term parking.

As The Tennessee Star reported earlier this week, the increase applies to the Downtown Central Business Improvement District (CBID) for purposes of increasing public safety, cleanliness, promotional materials, and major convention and group meeting recruitment.

The Nashville Downtown Partnership, a private nonprofit that oversees the downtown area, offered further detail in a press release that predated the council decision on the sales tax increase. They explained that the funds would increase police, fire, and emergency services; expand the number of Downtown Ambassadors, who keep the streets clean and patrol for situations requiring first responders; and implement more street cleaning and beautification programs.

The Nashville Downtown Partnership President and CEO Tom Turner said many businesses and merchants support this resolution.

“This is essentially the equivalent of 2 cents on each $8 burger, or other similar item, sold downtown,” explained Turner. “We’re identifying and responding to our changing needs, and creatively sourcing how best to make the investment that we all need in downtown.”

Yes, Every Kid

Oversight of the CBID falls to the Nashville District Management Corporation Board. They will appoint five individuals to an advisory committee to determine how the accrued funds will be spent. Committee members will include those with retail components to their business, specifically: two hotels, a Second Avenue business, a Broadway business, and an attraction business.

Resolution sponsor Freddie O’Connell didn’t respond to The Star with comment by press time. We asked the sponsor what had prompted the need for increased funding for public safety and cleanliness, and why .25 percent was determined to be the best amount.

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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].

 

 

 

 

 

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13 Thoughts to “Metro Nashville City Council Approved Downtown Sales Tax Increase”

  1. Some Dude

    That’s how Democrat leadership does it! Raise taxes as city crime and other city problems rise!

    Hint: Your Democrat Leadership is ripping you off.

    The city of Nashville is going down. Down the path of Liberalism. Along with all the other Democrat controlled cities all over the country. Do NOT let Nashville follow! you WILL regret it, later, after it is too late. After all the money, and businesses, have fled.

    If this state is ruined by the populations of Nashville and Memphis changing the entire state, as they have Oregon, and California, I will remove myself and monies and TAXES. So will many others. Though I WILL maintain all my TN property holdings, and happily charge the remaining TN Democrats an extra arm and a leg for all those leases. The money will leave any ruined state, to be with me, and be spent in whatever state is NOT ruined by the Democrat Party.

    Realize, Joe Biden only needed to win 17% of America’s 3,141 counties to win. 17%. The DEMs only needed to winsteal the cities, to change to entire course of the USA. They will do the same to Tennessee; they will use cities to out-populate ALL the rural areas and change the state’s course, too. ~ It IS happening, faster than ever before, as Democrats flee their failing cities, and states, to come to other Democrat cities, like Nashville.

    Nashville is becoming New York City, as Nashville’s rising crime already indicates.

    But, I am sure Democrats spending more of your money will help. They promised the same things in Chicago, NYC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Portland, etc.

    — In the end, Nashville WILL get what it PAYS for.

    1. Nashville Deplorable

      Too late.

  2. Nashville Deplorable

    I’m guessing it’s to choke more money out of the 80,000 Trump fans attending the downtown area every weekend.

  3. 83ragtop50

    I stopped going to Nashville over 2 years ago. The place is a stinking and dangerous shambles.

  4. Ron W

    The only good thing is that with a sales tax, everyone “pays their fair share”, that is, the same percentage according to “the equal protection of the laws”.

  5. David Longfellow

    The need for democrats to steal other people’s money is insatiable.

  6. Mark Knofler

    As if you needed another reason to avoid downtown (i.e. recent violence). CommyCrats are so blind to their own BS, but Napoleon Cooper wants to make sure they drain every last dime from his constituents and visitors. #VotetheBumsOut!

  7. JRin

    As usual, it starts withe the equivalent of $.02 on an $8.00 burger, but it will slowly grow to $2.00 on an $8.00 burger. That’s how Democrats roll….. then they’ll waste the money.

  8. AWM

    Surprise, surprise, surprise sayeth that great wise man G. Pyle.

  9. DefundDemocrats

    Democrats have never met a tax they didn’t want to increase

  10. Rick

    Commie Cooper (The Tax Man) and his commie comrades strike again. Cooper is either raising taxes, playing up to minorities or laughing on TV after the second avenue bombing like an idiot. What leadership!!

    1. Ron W

      Rick, You forgot discrimination between “essential” vs “non-essential” workers and jobs.

  11. David Blackwell RN, BSN, CCM

    Thank God for Amazon huh? Now I need not venture into Nashvile for nothing.

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