Nashville Electric Service (NES) has installed more than 6,000 LED streetlights throughout Music City this year as a result of a contract between the utility company and the city.
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Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit plan, which is expected to be on the November ballot, is likely illegal under the IMPROVE Act, which passed the Tennessee General Assembly in 2017.
The 2017 IMPROVE Act, signed by former Governor Bill Haslam, permits local governments to seek a dedicated funding source via surcharge to support mass transportation projects through local referendum.
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Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick explained how one aspect of Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit plan, which will be on the November ballot, would help control the flow of traffic for drivers in Music City.
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Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit plan, which will be on the November ballot, will inevitably lead to property tax increases.
Last month, O’Connell officially announced that his long-awaited transit plan will be on the November 5 ballot, however, he did not release any information regarding what the plan entails.
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A report released on Wednesday claims Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is committed to funding his proposed transportation initiative with an increase to the city’s sales tax.
O’Connell and his administration are reportedly “leaning toward a half cent sales tax” as the primary funding source of the transit referendum he plans to take before voters in November, a News Channel 5 report claims.
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A poll touted by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Wednesday, which claims the majority of the city’s residents want greater investments into public transits, admittedly over sampled black and Hispanic citizens in a bid to achieve “greater insight” into city’s mood.
The Imagine Nashville survey claimed that 74 percent of Nashville residents strongly agree with the city spending additional money on public transportation. The pollsters further claimed that 33 percent of respondents cited a lack of public transportation as an issue where the city needs to improve.
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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell officially announced Thursday that there will be a public transit referendum on the November 5 ballot, however, did not reveal any specifics to his awaited transportation plan.
“After getting the green light on both legal and financial aspects of the process, the administration is putting a referendum in front of the voters on November 5,” O’Connell’s office said in a press release.
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Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss what may be included in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s anticipated multimodal transportation plan.
O’Connell, who was elected mayor in last year’s runoff election, vowed during his campaign to address Nashville’s “infrastructure and transit concerns” and is expected to release a multimodal plan in the near future.
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All-star panelist Ben Cunningham joined Friday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy where he discussed what may be included in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s anticipated transit plan.
O’Connell, who was elected mayor in last year’s runoff election, vowed during his campaign to address Nashville’s “infrastructure and transit concerns.”
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All-star panelist Ben Cunningham joined Friday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s anticipated transit plan and how it may clash with the overall preference among Nashvillians when it comes to transportation.
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Tennessee U.S. Representatives John Rose (R-TN-06) and Mark Green (R-TN-07) met with community members and surveyed some of the damage left behind after a series of tornadoes tore through Middle Tennessee over the weekend.
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While much of the legacy media attacks the messenger, conservative commentator Steven Crowder wants to know why major news outlets haven’t been more diligent in going after Covenant School Killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto.
The host of the Louder with Crowder podcast this week published photos of three pages from Hale’s prolific writings, which the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have blocked from public release.
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Nashville Police Chief John Drake issued a statement Saturday evening after his son, John Drake Jr., was confirmed as the suspect wanted for shooting two La Vergne police officers.
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A nationally recognized Nashville constitutional law attorney is urging newly installed Mayor Freddie O’Connell to fire Metro Nashville’s controversial legal Director Wally Dietz on allegations of “relentless malfeasance in the Department of Law.”
Based on Daniel Horowitz’s email to Metro Council members, it appears at least some city leaders may agree with the attorney.
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Metro Nashville Councilman Sean Parker is a founding member of the Democratic Socialists of America-Middle Tennessee Chapter, which has scheduled a rally for Palestine on Saturday afternoon in downtown Nashville.
The “Emergency Rally for Gaza,” scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. in front of the Estes Kefauver Federal Building on Broadway, will be held exactly one week after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip and raped, tortured and systematically murdered 1,300 Israelis, most of them innocent civilians.
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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced on Tuesday updates to his staff one day after being sworn into office during a private ceremony.
Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace, who ran O’Connell’s campaign as campaign manager, will serve as his chief of staff. Alex Apple, who served as O’Connell’s communications director during the campaign, was also hired to serve as deputy communications director and press secretary in the mayor’s office.
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Freddie O’Connell was sworn in as Nashville’s 10th mayor on Monday at a private ceremony, officially succeeding John Cooper.
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Outgoing Nashville Mayor John Cooper posted a farewell message to his constituents Friday on social media to wrap up the last few hours of his term.
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Freddie O’Connell won the Nashville Mayoral runoff election on Thursday, defeating his Republican opponent Alice Rolli.
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A Nashville mayoral candidate Tuesday touted an endorsement from a colleague on the Metro Nashville Council.
“16 years ago, [Council member Sharon Hurt] welcomed me to Jefferson Street, where her leadership produced business success and a stronger workforce. As we joined Metro Council together, I witnessed her steadfast commitment to building a more equitable city. I’m honored to have her support,” said Freddie O’Connell, attaching a video endorsement from Hurt.
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The Davidson County Election Commission has revealed how many votes were cast during early voting for the 2023 Metro Nashville Runoff Election.
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Nashville mayoral candidate Freddie O’Connell has tested positive for COVID-19 along with at least 8 other members of the Metro Council, according to reports.
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The Metro Nashville City Council voted to pass a resolution this week that would allow a full implementation of license plate readers (LPRs) to be installed in the Nashville metro area—the resolution (RS2023-2342) passed by a 24-14-1 vote.
Councilman Jeff Syracuse proposed an amendment to the resolution, which clarifies that two or more votes will need to be taken by the next council before the LPR program is started. In addition, Syracuse’s amendment says if there is any data breach of the technology, the contract with the LPR vendor will be terminated and police must consult with community advisory groups in each precinct to decide where the technology will be placed.
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Nashville mayoral candidates Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli have both picked up endorsements in the past week from former candidates in the race that failed to make it to the runoff election, scheduled for Thursday, September 14.
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Political watcher and recovering journalist Clint Brewer joined host Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio on Thursday’ episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss this week’s ‘Winners and Losers.’ Topping the ‘Winners’ list was Metro Councilman Freddie O’Connell while 2024 presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis was tapped for top spot on the ‘Losers’ list. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: Well, Clint, who do we have as a winner this week? Clint Brewer: Well, it’s obvious – we’ve already talked about him. Councilman Fred O’Connell. Michael Patrick Leahy: Obvious. Clint Brewer: Obvious. Michael Patrick Leahy: 27 percent finished – first place. Clint Brewer: Yeah. Michael Patrick Leahy: Odds-on favorite, probably, to win and become the next man Clint Brewer: Yeah – based on reliable polling going into the contest with a pretty commanding lead. Michael Patrick Leahy: Although I’ll have to say Alice Rolli ran a very good campaign and look: if she can turn out people that didn’t vote before, she’s got a shot. Clint Brewer: Yeah; Or, she can put this in her back pocket if she loses, and maybe she runs for something else. Michael Patrick Leahy: Maybe. Clint Brewer: Maybe. You never know. Michael Patrick Leahy: You never know.…
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Digital marketing expert and creator of the conservative TennVoterGuide.com Craig Huey joins host Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to outline who – among the 12 candidates – has a real chance to win the Nashville mayoral election; who is running the smartest campaign; and who is behind the well-financed efforts to push Nashville – and Tennessee – to the far Left.
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New polling conducted on behalf of Tennesseans for Student Success by VictoryPhones reported that Metro Councilmember Freddie O’Connell leads the Nashville mayoral race with 25.4 percent of the vote.
Trailing O’Connell in the poll is Alice Rolli (18.8 percent), Matt Wiltshire (14.6 percent), Jeff Yarbro (13.1 percent), Heidi Campbell (5.9 percent), Sharon Hurt (3.6 percent), Vivian Wilhoite (3.4 percent), and Fran Bush (0.8 percent).
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A group that advocates for illegal aliens has endorsed Freddie O’Connell in his bid to become Nashville’s next mayor.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), via its political arm TIRRC Votes, endorsed the District 19 Metro Council Member on Thursday.
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New polling from Music City Research, a Nashville-based research firm focused on public opinion polling, reports that Freddie O’Connell is leading the Nashville mayoral race with 20 percent of the vote.
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As part of a recent questionnaire that WKRN gave to Metro Nashville mayoral hopefuls, the candidates had the opportunity to tell voters their plans to work with the State and repair the strife that has been growing in recent years.
The 10 candidates who participated in the recent Mayoral Forum hosted by WKRN all submitted answers.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed recovering journalist Clint Brewer in studio for another edition of Clint Brewer’s Winners and Losers of the Week.
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Metro Nashville Council Member (At-Large) Bob Mendes endorsed fellow council member Freddie O’Connell as the next mayor of Nashville.
In January, The Tennessee Star reported that current Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced that he would not seek re-election, leaving the race wide open. O’Connell was one of the first to announce his candidacy for the position.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed recovering journalist Clint Brewer in studio to handicap the Nashville mayoral race and discuss the financial and notoriety of candidates in the growing field.
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New Data by the Davidson County Election Commission compiled by Axios shows how much cash each candidate running for Nashville Mayor has on hand through the first quarter of this year.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Freddie O’Connell, a Metro City councilman and Nashville mayoral candidate, in studio to discuss his education and professional background.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in studio to discuss the announced Nashville mayoral candidates and their possibilities of winning.
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Democrat Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced he would not seek re-election for a second term. Cooper was first elected mayor in 2019.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed former TN5 GOP candidate Baxter Lee in studio to handicap the mayoral candidates for Nashville’s Davidson County.
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Metro Nashville Councilman for District 19 Freddie O’Connell announced, according to The Tennessean on Thursday, that he plans to run as Nashville’s next mayor in 2023.
O’Connell has been a councilmember since 2015, serving the downtown and Germantown area of Nashville.
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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.
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Metro Nashville City Council is considering a complete overhaul of street parking through a proposed “Smart Parking Program.” The legislation would overhaul the current street parking system (located as item number 44 under Bills on Second Reading). It would allow contractors to enforce parking violations; shift court date notifications, payment systems, and notice methods to a web and text message-based system; and implement license plate scanner technology. It would abolish free parking on Sundays and holidays, the use of coin-operated meters, and free parking perks for carbon neutral vehicles.
The bill also insisted on updating the term “meter maids” to “parking enforcement patrol.” The sponsors of the bill are Council members Freddie O’Connell, Robert Nash, Tonya Hancock, and Ginny Welsch.
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Several council members in Tennessee have called for the resignation of a police chief after warrants were issued for two community activists and then later rescinded.
Metro Council member Freddie O’Connell last week urged Nashville Mayor John Cooper to request the resignation of Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson, news outlets reported.
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The Metro Public Health Department in Nashville will still provide COVID-19 patient information to first responders and law enforcement.
Metro Public Health Director Michael Caldwell said the practice is “temporary,” but that it’s working, WPLN reported Thursday.
“This is an emergency,” he says. “This is critical, timely, life-saving information that has reduced and contained the spread of this disease within our medical institutions and within our jails. I’m puzzled by why the state reversed course.”
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Federal taxpayers will hand over more than $9 million so Nashville officials can replace the city’s fleet of buses for its public transportation system. This, despite a recent WSMV investigation showing Nashvillians don’t use existing buses as often as one might assume. According to a recent U.S. Department of Transportation press release, the $9 million will replace some of the city’s aging buses with new hybrid electric models. The rest of the money will pay to maintain existing buses, the press release said. This $9 million was part of $366.2 million in grants the feds gave out to cities nationwide. According to a WSMV investigation last week, however, too few people evidently ride the buses to justify the high costs to taxpayers. Sometimes, according to the station, only five people rode a bus. The station quoted one passenger, Rae Keohane, who said she often is the only person on board. Another bus, which runs along West End Avenue, was empty for more than 30 minutes. Also, the bus on the Grassmere-Edmondson route was empty for 19 minutes, according to the station. The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority has seven low-performing routes. The most expensive, the University Connector, costs taxpayers $1.4 million…
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