The Metro Nashville Council will vote on Tuesday on Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s request to establish the Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment, which would operate with grant funding from two nonprofit organizations.
Should the Metro Council approve the mayor’s request, the office would receive more than half of its funding through a grant from the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund, but would also depend on nearly $130,000 from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT), the nonprofit announced as Nashville’s partner for the “Belonging Fund” created in the wake of a federal immigration enforcement operation that saw nearly 200 illegal immigrants detained.
According to the Metro Council resolution submitted on June 6, the Office of Financial Empowerment would be funded by a $160,000 grant from the CFE Fund, provided that Metro Nashville would independently raise an additional $120,000 in exchange for receiving the money.
The resolution states that CFMT has already pledged to provide more than necessary for Metro Nashville to receive the money from the CFE Fund, with the nonprofit agreeing to donate $127,949.60 for funding O’Connell’s new office.
Should it be approved, this would be the latest example of the tight relationship between Metro Nashville and CFMT, coming less than two months after O’Connell announced the “Belonging Fund” as a “partnership” between Metro Nashville and CFMT.
“Our immigrant neighbors power industries, enrich the city’s culture, and contribute to neighborhoods across the region. Yet, many face sudden and destabilizing challenges, often with little warning or support,” said the mayor’s office in May. “The Belonging Fund helps meet their needs by providing financial resources to nonprofit organizations offering emergency assistance.”
U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) announced the start of a congressional probe earlier this month, following The Tennessee Star’s report that two nonprofits that helped seed the “Belonging Fund” received millions of federal tax dollars in Biden-era stimulus money from Metro Nashville.
“Instead of defending our state, Mayor Freddie O’Connell is sabotaging it. He’s weaponized his office to dox and surveil federal agents who are trying to stop violent criminals — and worse, he’s embraced those criminals by creating a taxpayer-funded program to aid illegal aliens,” wrote Ogles in a post to X.
🚨🚨 INVESTIGATION BEGUN 🚨🚨
Instead of defending our state, Mayor Freddie O’Connell is sabotaging it. He’s weaponized his office to dox and surveil federal agents who are trying to stop violent criminals — and worse, he’s embraced those criminals by creating a taxpayer-funded… pic.twitter.com/VP9x1XnscO
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) May 30, 2025
Though CFMT holds the funds, The Star earlier this month revealed that the two nonprofits that helped to initially seed the “Belonging Fund” are now “coordinating the provision” of the fund.
While the CFMT-sponsored “Belonging Fund” is the subject of congressional scrutiny, CFE Fund additionally appears to have engaged in politically biased activities, as in 2023, when it unveiled eight cities would participate in a new, Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded program aimed at increasing “racial wealth equity.”
CFE Fund President and CEO Jonathan Mintz explained, “With our CityStart focus on racial wealth equity, and with the generous support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and their Greenwood Initiative, this next cohort of governments will work to harness the opportunities of financial empowerment work to build equity in their communities.”
O’Connell said the new government office would help Nashvillians by working collaboratively with another government office and area institutions, according to WSMV 4.
“This office will work collaboratively with our Financial Empowerment Center, nonprofit community, banks, and funders to advance economic growth and fairness for all Nashvillians, lower poverty, and bridge the gap between financial services and the people who can benefit from them the most,” said O’Connell.
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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.
And just how long do you expect it would be before this “land shark” would be fast handing money from Metro taxpayers into such a “Pet Fund”?
Freddie the fleecer demonstrating what happens when self governance fails.
This is reparations and financial equity and I’m not for it. Freddie Freeloader has his priorities all screwed up.
Nashville has become a city plagued by corruption and crime. Now city officials want to only take care of illegal immigrants who take advantage of native residents.
TO METRO COUNCIL :
Are you going to allow this Mayor ( who self-identifies as a Democrat Socialist of America member ..aka communist) to once again turn his back on the taxpayers of Nashville-Davidson County?
Or are you going to prove to your Constituents that you are not controlled by this Tyrant?
I’m not hopeful, unfortunately, due to the fact that the phony term limits placed on you, makes it more beneficial to “cooperate” with the Tyranny, due to the fact that noone can reelect you. You are LAME DUCKS.
VOTING IS TERM LIMITS
Do the Right Thing & Vote NO on this Resolution.
Who elected this scoundrel? Are the citizens of Davidson County that stupid? Well, I guess so.
Why is congress and Andy Ogles investigating this mayor? Where is the TBI, DOJ and, FBI? Isn’t that their job?
Office of Financial Empowerment (with equity for all). Doesn’t that have a nice “woke” ring to it? Another tax money scam by Freddie the Freeloader.
Call your Metro Council member and say please vote No to this ill-conceived socialist program
This mayor pretends that the NGOs just get money from the sky. Ultimately all of their money has come from either the Feds – and the US taxpayer – or nefarious actors without good intentions for the State. This seems counter to all good governance safeguards. Bought and Paid For has new meaning now.
“Increasing wealth equity” just means reparations and taking from those who work to give to those who do not.
Another once-great city has been conquered by the Left.
The Left is putting its claws into Nashville Government… ANOTHER city falls.
Illegal slush fund alert, all red lights are shining brightly!