The Metro Nashville Council agenda for the May 17 meeting is highlighted by the first reading of the budget as well as resolutions accepting grants from various agencies to address mental health, drug overdose, and tobacco issues.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that BL2022-1248, a bill on first reading, is the ordinance setting the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and is on the agenda.
Metro Council is proposing to spend $2,966,198,600 for FY 2023, with $1,449,960,100 going to general funds and $1,109,002,500 to the school operating fund. $410,816,900 is also going to the debt service funds. The FY 2022 budget sat at around $2.6 billion.
Total revenue to support appropriations for the General Services District in this proposal is $2,788,008,500. The total revenue to support the Urban Services District appropriations is $182,252,000.
The full proposal can be viewed on the Metro Council website.
RS2022-1525, sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen and Ginny Welsch, is a resolution “accepting a grant from the State of Tennessee, Department of Correction, to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the State Trial Courts, for the expenses of housing and treating non-violent felony offenders with co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders.”
RS2022-1529 is a resolution “accepting a grant from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to partner with agencies and implement activities that address the community’s challenges related to drug overdose deaths.”
It is sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen, Erin Evans, and Ginny Welsch.
RS2022-1531, sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen, Erin Evans, Ginny Welsch, Joy Styles, and Jennifer Gamble, is a resolution “approving amendment three to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to add additional Epidemiology & Laboratory Capacity (ELC) enhanced detection for COVID response.”
The grant is for over $5.2 million and is sourced from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
RS2022-1532 is a resolution “approving amendment seven to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to improve the health of those residing in or visiting Davidson County through targeted strategies to prevent and control the use of tobacco products.”
The resolution accepts $140,000 in grants from the Tennessee Department of Health. It is sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen and Erin Evans.
BL2022-1250, an ordinance on first reading, amends Title 2 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws in order to create a Nashville Entertainment Commission. It is sponsored by councilmembers Joy Styles, Ginny Welsch, Kyonzte Toombs, and Robert Swope.
According to the legislation, the purpose of the commission is to promote Nashville-based production of various entertainment mediums like television, music videos and video games and market the city to various entities. It also calls for the commission to, “promote gender and racial equity in the entertainment industry.”
The commission, if approved, will have “15 members. Six members shall be appointed by the metropolitan council, four members shall be appointed by the mayor, and five members shall be nominated by members of the public and selected by the metropolitan council. All members of the commission, including those members nominated by the public, shall hold occupations in either the film industry, music industry, and/or entertainment industry.”
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Nashville City Hall” by Nicolas Henderson. CC BY 2.0.
$410,000,000 for debt service. Now that really shows some great financial management acumen. (This is sarcasm, in case it was not obvious.)