Davidson County Election Chair Splits from Private Job After Support for Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act

Jim DeLanis, the chairman of the Davidson County Election Commission and a former attorney at Baker Donelson law firm, is no longer with the firm after voting to support the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act.

In a commission meeting, DeLanis voted to appeal a ruling from a Nashville judge that canceled a special referendum that was to be held with the goal of reducing the city’s substantial tax hike.

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Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Launches Videos Explaining Proposed Amendments to Roll Back, Prevent Property Tax Hikes, and More

Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act

Earlier this week, 4 Good Government published a video series explaining the purposes and benefits of their voter referendum, the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act. The 7 short videos addressed each of the 6 amendments in the referendum. 

Jim Roberts, the attorney and founder behind 4 Good Government, explained that he founded the organization to improve Metro Nashville government.

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Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Supporters Prepare Media Counterpunch

The people who oppose the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act this week began a paid media campaign to tarnish the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act as the brainchild of “radical extremists.” But Nashville attorney Jim Roberts, one of the architects of the referendum, told The Tennessee Star this week that he and his supporters are currently crafting their own media counteroffensive.

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Voters Will Decide Fate of Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act

Members of the Davidson County Election Commission voted 3-2 Monday to allow voters the right to vote yes or no to the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act. “The panel’s approval, along party lines, came after commissioners obtained a legal opinion from Vanderbilt University Professor Jim Blumstein, who was recently retained as the commission’s legal counsel. The opinion states it is the commission’s ‘duty’ to place the initiative on the ballot in 75 to 90 days,” according to The Tennessean.

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Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Attorney Jim Roberts on Metro Legals Attempt at Adverse Outside Council and Ominous Group Harassment of Petition Signers

Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act’s attorney Jim Roberts to the newsmakers line to update listeners on the dirty tricks and schemes crafted by Metro legal to stop the referendum from appearing on the ballot and exposes a fake group harassing petitioners.

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Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Chances Might Improve with New Makeup of Davidson County Election Commission

One of the people behind the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act said he’s optimistic that the proposed referendum has a fighting chance, given the new makeup of the Davidson County Election Commission. Attorney Jim Roberts described Thursday night’s Election Commission meeting as “fabulous for our side.” This, after he said Metro Nashville officials were trying to undermine the proposed referendum which, if voters approve it, would roll back Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s 34 to 37 percent tax increase.

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Two Republicans Join Davidson County Election Commission

Two Republicans have replaced two other members of that political party on the Davidson County Election Commission. Davidson County Administrator of Elections Jeff Roberts on Tuesday identified those two new Republicans as Dan Davis and Ross Evans. Through their votes, Davis and Evans may ultimately help determine whether the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act goes to a referendum.

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Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act: Attorney Jim Roberts Talks Metro Legal’s Creation of Suppression and Fear as Referendum Seeks Ballot

Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Attorney Jim Roberts to the newsmakers line to give updates on where he stands in the fight against Metro Legal to get the proper number or petitions solidified to move forward with his referendum.

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Davidson County Election Commission Could Decide Fate of Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Next Week

Davidson County Elections Administrator Jeff Roberts updated new developments with the proposed referendum for the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act and when and if election commissioners will permit voters a chance to have their say. “We are in the process of verifying the 14,000 signatures turned in last week. The Charter states the number of signatures needed is based on the preceding general election,” Roberts told The Tennessee Star in an email Wednesday.

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Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Supporters Need Help to Fend off Challenges from Metro Government, Establishment Media

The people behind the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act say they need supporters to contribute money to help educate Davidson County residents about the proposed referendum. Nashville attorney Jim Roberts said they also need the money to fight the likely counteroffensive from Metro Nashville government officials, many of whom may try to discourage people from supporting the referendum. And many of Nashville’s establishment media outlets could wage their own information campaign against the referendum, Roberts said.

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More Than 14,000 People Sign New Petition for Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Referendum

The people behind the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act said Friday that they have obtained 14,000 signatures for a referendum on the matter and have filed those signatures with the Metro Nashville Clerk’s Office. As The Tennessee Star reported last month, organizers are pushing again for Davidson County voters to have the chance to vote for the proposed Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act. If voters approve it, the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act would roll back Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s 34 to 37 percent tax increase.

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Witnesses Testify on First Day of Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Trial

The dispute over the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act went to trial Monday.

Nashville attorney Jim Roberts said he expects Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Ellen Hobbs Lyle will issue a ruling by the end of this week.

As reported, Roberts is fighting the Davidson County Election Commission to get the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act referendum on the December 5 ballot.

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Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Trial Date Set

The dispute concerning the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act will go to trial October 26 through October 28, per the orders of Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Ellen Hobbs Lyle.

This, according to Nashville attorney Jim Roberts. As reported, Roberts is fighting the Davidson County Election Commission to get the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act referendum on the December 5 ballot. He said Commission members are playing unfair games with him and the public.

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Nashville Judge Rules Against Save Our Fairgrounds Group

A Davidson County Chancery Court judge this week ruled that a group of plaintiffs did not prove that construction of a Major League Soccer stadium at The Fairgrounds Nashville violates the Metro Charter.

Judge Ellen Hobbs Lyle announced the ruling Tuesday in a case between Save Our Fairgrounds — the plaintiffs — and the defendants, the Metro Nashville Government and Nashville Soccer Holdings.

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Nashville Attorney Files Suit, Tells Davidson County Election Commissioners to Do Their Jobs on Taxpayer Referendum

  A Nashville attorney filed a motion Thursday to challenge members of the Davidson County Election Commission, who still refuse to put the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act referendum on the ballot for December 5, as originally intended. That man, Jim Roberts, on Friday explained what he filed with the Davidson County Chancery Court. “It’s real simple. Governments generally have two ways that they act. They either have ministerial duties, which means they do exactly what the law says or they have discretionary duties, which means they have a lot of discretion for when they make a decision,” Roberts said. “The Election Commission’s duties — once the citizens have gathered the petitions and once the signatures have been verified — include an obligation to put it on the ballot [and it] is ministerial. They don’t have a choice. That is just what they do. They are in this position now where they don’t want to do their job. It is not really any more complicated than that. They just don’t want to do it.” Roberts said his lawsuit asks for several different types of relief, one of which asks that the court direct members of the Election Commission to put the ballot on…

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Attorney Warns That Mayor John Cooper and Others are Privately Seeking Ways to Sabotage the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act

Members of the Metro Nashville Election Commission met privately Friday, and at least one of the five commission members refused to say what they discussed, even though it was government business.

Nashville attorney Jim Roberts told The Tennessee Star Saturday that he suspects commission members met to discuss ways to undermine the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act. As reported last month, this referendum, if approved, would roll back Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s 34-37 percent tax increase. The referendum would also limit property tax rate increases to 2 percent every year without voters approving it. Voters are scheduled to decide during a December 5 referendum.

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Initiative to Roll Back Nashville’s 34 Percent Property Tax Hike Receives Election Commission Verification, Heads Back to Clerk’s Office

Nashvillians now likely will have input on the city’s 34 to 37 percent property tax hike, a conservative activist said in reaction to the verification of a ballot initiative.

The Davidson County Election Commission on Monday verified the referendum effort for the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act, WSMV said. That could limit the property tax increase to 2 percent. The effort now goes to the Metro Clerk’s Office and potentially to the Dec. 5 ballot.

Tori Venable, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee (AFP-TN), lauded the initiative’s progress in a statement. 

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Nashville Attorney Jim Roberts Gives Updates on the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Petition

Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. –  host Leahy welcomed Nashville attorney Jim Roberts to the newsmakers line.

During the third hour, Roberts gave updates on the petition for the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act and detailed the timeline in order to get the referendum on the ballot by August 6. He added that this will allow the mayor and the Metro government to remain accountable and transparent to the taxpayers of Nashville.

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Forces Behind Nashville Major League Soccer Stadium Start Public Relations Campaign, Despite Dire Warnings

The people behind the movement to build a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium in Nashville have apparently started a public relations campaign to let the city know they’re moving forward.

But a Nashville-based attorney who has fought the stadium said Wednesday that “it’s still a terrible deal for Nashville.” Jim Roberts told The Tennessee Star that this MLS team might not choose to stay in the city.

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