The Metro Nashville Government on Monday confirmed it intends to sue the Trump administration over its efforts to reduce government spending, Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz told Nashville Banner last week.
O’Connell and Dietz confirmed Nashville is exploring litigation against the Trump administration over the attempts by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to rein in government spending, telling the outlet the White House has no authority to rescind funding promised during previous administrations.
“We continue to have many questions and few clear answers,” O’Connell told The Banner, claiming the city has employed “the fiscal equivalent of duct tape” to maintain current operations with diminished federal funding.
He later told the outlet, “I would not say I think it’s realistic to replace all of that [federal funding],” and predicted “some very difficult decisions” unless the city can restore funding through legal means.
For his part, Dietz is reportedly “actively speaking with other cities” to pursue lawsuits “to protect those grants” and told the outlet that, in his opinion, the Trump administration has provoked “a constitutional crisis” through its attempts to cut spending.
The Banner then asked Nashville’s legal expert whether such lawsuits could prompt the Trump administration to take a closer look at federal spending directed toward Nashville.
He replied, “I don’t know that it could get much worse,” before asserting that the Trump White House, “does not have the ability to just revoke grants that were in place,” and cities like Nashville “must stand up for our rights” to federal tax dollars.
Nashville has already joined one lawsuit brought by other cities, which demands the Trump administration release frozen funding that the city reportedly sought to use to install electric vehicle charging stations, build new bike lanes, and install new transit connections.
While the outlet did not report specifics regarding potential legal action brought by Dietz on behalf of O’Connell or the city, the mayor confirmed earlier this year that the Trump administration’s efforts to cut spending may jeopardize the anticipated funding for his Choose How You Move transit plan that was approved by voters last year.
“In some cases it may just mean patience, we may have to adjust some timelines and yes, we probably would be looking or whatever similar replacement sources were there,” O’Connell said in February. “If it’s not there, it would result in value engineering. It would not result in, for instance, a cost increase to people here.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Freddie O’Connell.
Maybe the feds should countersue for mis-spent funds. Bankrupt they city and make them start all over. The way things are going, they can’t sustain things.
This is horse manure! Nashville depending a grants because Democrats had always provided pork barrel spending! Wow