Tag: Mayor Freddie O’Connell

Tennessee Democrat Issues Plea for Public Safety After Seeing ‘Woman Being Mauled by Two Unleashed Dogs’ in Nashville Greenway

Tom Pappert
Jason Powell and Freddie O'Connell

Tennessee State House Minority Whip Jason Powell (D-Nashville) on Monday wrote that he and his daughter helped a woman being mauled in a Nashville greenway in a plea for Mayor Freddie O’Connell and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to increase public safety.

Powell urged O’Connell, MNPD Chief John Drake, and Nashville Parks Director Monique Horton Odom to take action in a letter posted to the social media platform X by Fox 17 Nashville reporter Kylie Walker, noting he witnessed the mauling only days after 34-year-old Alyssa Lokits was found dead in the Mill Creek Greenway on October 14.

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Memphis Mayor Fires Entire Transit Board After Third-Party Report Exposed ‘Culture of Poor Accountability’

Tom Pappert
Memphis Mayor Paul Young

Memphis Mayor Paul Young on Friday fired all nine members of the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) Board of Commissioners following the release of a third-party report that claimed the members were responsible for creating a “culture of poor accountability” for the troubled transit service.

Young reportedly called his decision an effort to create “a clean-slate environment,” according to NewsChannel 3, who revealed the mayor directly cited the third-party report completed by TransPro and sent to the city last week.

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Group Opposed to Nashville Transit Referendum Argues Pitch Uses ‘Most Regressive Tax’ to Bus System ‘Plagued by Crime’

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

A group formed to oppose the Nashville transit referendum proposed by Mayor Freddie O’Connell warns the plan will have the largest financial impact on the city’s poorest population while boosting a bus system “plagued by crime” and offering minimal decreases to the city’s traffic congestion.

The Committee to Stop an UnFair Tax was organized in August when Axios reported former Metro Council Member Emily Evans, Davidson County Republican party leader Beth Campbell, and attorney Ferrell Neal were behind the effort.

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Nashville Considers $6.9 Billion Transit Referendum Despite City Bus Network Just Now Reaching Pre-Pandemic Ridership

Tom Pappert
WeGo Bus stop

WeGo Public Transit in Nashville said on Friday it has now reached the high watermark of riders previously set in 2018, more than a year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that saw the number of Nashvillians using public transit cut in half.

News that Nashville’s bus system has reached its pre-pandemic ridership numbers comes as the city’s voters consider a $3.1 billion transit package, which will be on their November ballot at the request of Mayor Freddie O’Connell.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Says Failed 2018 Transit Referendum Proposal Would Be ‘Pretty Useful’

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Wednesday said the 2018 transit referendum, which was rejected by 64 percent of the city’s voters and supported by just 36 percent, would have been “pretty useful” for Nashville’s residents.

O’Connell spoke about the failed, 2018 referendum in an appearance on The Nashville Scene Podcast, where he compared the long-term benefits of mass transit to planting trees.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Includes ‘Adjustment’ to Face Mask Restrictions in Public Safety Proposal

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released details of a public safety proposal he plans to put before the Metro Nashville Council, revealing the mayor seeks to impose restrictions on face masks and other face coverings in public spaces.

In a Friday statement from the mayor’s office, O’Connell confirmed four piece of legislation he said would “boost public safety” but recognize “First Amendment rights to peacefully gather and speak.”

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Touts ‘Improved Infrastructure’ in Transit Referendum Despite Legal Concerns from Watchdog

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell raised the infrastructure elements of his transit referendum as evidence that even Nashvillians who do not use the city’s bus system will benefit if it passes. He did not acknowledge the possibility the infrastructure elements are illegal under Tennessee law, as alleged by government watchdog Ben Cunningham.

O’Connell was interviewed about his transit referendum on Thursday by Nashville Scene. When asked about individuals who are only familiar with his proposed improvements to Nashville’s bus system, the mayor turned to the “improved infrastructure” promised in the referendum.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Labeled Trump a ‘Threat to Democracy,’ Joked About Securing Area During Bitcoin Conference

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell and Donald Trump

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell condemned former President Donald Trump on Saturday as a “threat to democracy,” then humorously asserted the Bitcoin 2024 conference, where the former president spoke, was “secured” and the “threat” gone.

O’Connell made the remarks at the annual Three Star Fundraiser held by the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP), which the party titled, “For Our Democracy, For Our Freedom.”

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Kamala Harris Receives Endorsements from Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Disgraced Ex-Mayor Megan Barry

Tom Pappert
Freddy O'Connell, Megan Berry, Kamala Harris (composite image)

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday received the endorsement of both Nashville’s current mayor, Freddie O’Connell, as well as former Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned in 2018 after it was revealed she used public funds and resources to facilitate an affair with her bodyguard.

The endorsements came after President Joe Biden on Sunday confirmed he will no longer see the Democratic Party’s nomination, then later endorsed Harris to lead the Democrats against former President Donald Trump in November.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Declares Transit Referendum ‘Great Opportunity’ After Council Approves November Vote

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Wednesday declared his controversial transit referendum a “great opportunity” for the city after it was unanimously approved by the Metro Council, with every lawmaker present voting to allow Nashvillians to vote in November on whether to fund the $6.93 billion transportation package called illegal by critics. 

After the transit referendum was approved by the Metro Nashville City Council with unanimous support from the lawmakers present, O’Connell declared his approval in a statement, noting the final decision will go to Nashville residents in November.

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Local Regime Media in Nashville Promote False Flag Marchers as ‘White Nationalists’

Peter D'Abrosca
'Patriot Front' March in Nashville

The leftwing media and the mayor of Nashville Sunday slammed a group of “white nationalists,” long suspected as being false flag operators, for marching in Nashville. 

“Yesterday, a number of people shockingly comfortable publicly identifying themselves as white nationalists marched through Nashville.   My first priority in this moment—as always—was the safety of Nashvillians,” said Mayor Freddie O’Connell on X, referencing a group called Patriot Front. “I refuse to platform hate actors, so I have no interest in giving any group or member the attention they seek.”

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Man Accused of Choking Granddaughter at Nashville Public Bus Station in Latest WeGo Incident

Matthew Giffin
WeGo Transit

A man pushed, grabbed, and choked his granddaughter at a downtown public bus station in Nashville in the latest incident related to criminal activity associated with WeGo, WSMV reported.

Metro Nashville Police Department arrested Kevin Figgins, 58, on Monday. He is charged with domestic assault with bodily injury, and his bond has been set at $1,000, according to Davidson County court records.

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Newly Formed Community Review Board Holds Special Meeting on Allegations by Disgruntled Former MNPD Employee

Matthew Giffin
CRB Meeting

Metro Nashville’s newly formed Community Review Board (CRB) held a special meeting on Tuesday about a series of allegations by a disgruntled former Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officer.

The 61-page complaint contained allegations that high-level MNPD officers engaged in lobbying behind closed doors to pass a 2023 state law that banned the city’s Community Oversight Board (COB). The complaint also alleged that MNPD undermined the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), MNPD’s internal affairs division responsible for investigating police misconduct.

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Several Nashville Business Leaders Ally Themselves with Andy Ogles Challenger Courtney Johnston

Matthew Giffin
Bobby Joslin and Courtney Johnston

Several Nashville business leaders have publicly allied themselves with Nashville Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston, the Republican challenger to Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), since she announced her campaign in April.

Bobby Joslin, owner of Joslin and Son Sign Company, which has provided signs to many Nashville businesses, welcomed Johnston at an annual fish fry event on Thursday by gifting her a prominent sign, The Nashville Banner reported. Prominent Nashville and Tennessee political figures attended the event, including former Governor Bill Haslam, former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, and several current and former candidates for office representing both parties.

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Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Received ‘Transit Referendum Briefing’ After Relaunch by Mayor Freddie O’Connell

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell Bike Lanes

Mayor Freddie O’Connell relaunched the Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) on Tuesday. An agenda posted to the city’s website reveals that committee members received a “Transit Referendum Briefing” during their recent meeting.

A Wednesday press release by O’Connell’s office explained the mayor “released a new map related to his Choose How You Move transportation improvement program” and revealed a map of “35 miles of new and improved bicycle facilities that would be covered” under his referendum.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Declares His Transportation Referendum ‘Very Progressive’

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell described his “Choose How You Move” transportation referendum as “very progressive” in a Wednesday interview, highlighting the endeavor as one of the most progressive acts of his administration.

O’Connell was asked by The Guardian, which describes itself as “the world’s leading liberal voice,” to what level he views himself “as a progressive leader in a state that is not politically progressive” following the 2022 redistricting process that split Nashville between multiple congressional districts.

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Metro Legal Responds to Claim Transportation Referendum Not Legally Authorized

Matthew Giffin
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell

Metro Government has responded to a criticism that Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed transportation plan is not legal under state law.

Nashville Tea Party founder Ben Cunningham recently called O’Connell’s referendum illegal because it would increase taxes to fund projects he argues are not covered by the IMPROVE Act, like sidewalks and traffic signals.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Shares New Bus Lines Proposed in Transit Referendum

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Thursday provided details of how his proposed transit referendum would expand lines and services for the city’s bus system.

O’Connell posted the details to the social media platform X, where he wrote the bus transit improvements are “a key element” of his referendum. The mayor confirmed, “We’ll have local, frequent, new, and express service updates.”

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Claims Transit Referendum Will Include Plans for 600 New Traffic Signals

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell claimed on Thursday that his transit referendum will include plans for approximately 600 new traffic signals, and that new technology will be used to streamline the flow of vehicle traffic in the Music City.

O’Connell addressed Nashville drivers in a series of posts to the social media platform X, writing, “one of the most important elements” to his “transportation improvement program” involves “how it improves how everyone moves, including people driving.”

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Ben Cunningham: Half-Cent Sales Tax Hike ‘Just a Small Down Payment’ for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Transit Vision

Matthew Giffin
People Riding Bus

Nashville Tea Party founder Ben Cunningham warned that the half-cent sales tax increase being considered to fund Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit reform plan will be “just a small down payment” from Nashvillians.

Cunningham posted to X, formerly Twitter, in response to a piece by Tennessean reporter Cassandra Stephenson.

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Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga Will Receive Federal Funds Through Bloomberg’s American Sustainable Cities Initiative to Lobby for Billions from Biden’s Federal Slush Fund

Matthew Giffin
Mike Bloomberg

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced on Tuesday that three Tennessee cities will take part in an initiative that would use federal funds provided by the Biden administration.

Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga were selected for the organization’s American Sustainable Cities Initiative, which stated its focus would be on creating economic equity and green energy jobs, according to a Tuesday news release from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Mike Bloomberg, the former Democratic New York Mayor, founded Bloomberg Philanthropies.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Reportedly Planning Mass Transit Referendum After ‘Car-Free Streets’ Executive Order

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is reportedly planning to introduce a major mass transit project this year that will need to be approved by voters in November, and would likely require an increase to the city’s sales tax.

A report published Monday by Axios claims O’Connell is days away from announcing a “mass transit funding proposal” that will be “less downtown and tourist-focused than” the proposal previously defeated by voters in Metro Nashville in 2018.

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Jill Biden Commits Inadvertent ‘Umbrella Assault’ Against Nashville Mayor During Trip to Tennessee

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell Greets First Lady Jill Biden

First Lady Jill Biden committed an inadvertent “umbrella assault” against Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell during her visit to Tennessee, which was reportedly aimed at securing endorsements from the country music “influencer” community at an event held by country music artist Brad Paisley.

Video appears to show O’Connell being poked by the umbrella before deftly maneuvering around and underneath the umbrella as Biden raised it higher to avoid a second attack.

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Tennessee Democrats Silent on Nashville Mayor’s Biden White House Trip During Snowstorm, but Upset Glenn Jacobs Campaigned with Trump

Tom Pappert

Democrats in Knox County issued a series of statements on social media last Tuesday which claimed Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs was “absent” during the recent winter weather because he traveled to Iowa to campaign for former President Donald Trump ahead of the state’s caucuses.

The Knox County Democrats posted to social media on Tuesday, “Why is Glenn spending more time this week with Trump, MTG, Matt Gaetz, Kari Lake, and Jim Jordan than with county employees clearing roads or at local churches hosting warming centers?”

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Signs Executive Order for ‘Car-Free Streets,’ Expanding Initiative Started by Disgraced Mayor Megan Barry

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell signed 44 executive orders on Friday, including Executive Order 45, which expands Metro’s Green and Complete Streets policy with calls for the city to close some streets to vehicles and “serve the most vulnerable users of the transportation network.” The policy was originally introduced by disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry in 2016.

The text of O’Connell’s order acknowledges inspiration from Barry’s Executive Order 31, signed in 2016, which aimed to “[a]pproach every transportation improvement project phase with the purpose to create greener, safer, and more accessible streets for all users” to “enhance environmental quality” of Metro Nashville.

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Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick Exposes Shocking Drop in Law Enforcement Downtown

Tennessee Star Staff

Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Thursday to detail his discoveries into the precipitous drop in law enforcement and its effect on the state of public safety downtown on the heels of the city announcing the Hermitage homeless encampment will be taken down in January.

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Files Appeal over Who Appoints Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board

Tom Pappert
Skrmetti Nashville Airport

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a notice of appeal to the injunction issued by a three-judge panel in October which determined the Tennessee General Assembly violated the state Constitution with its new law changing how the Metro Nashville Airport Authority board is selected.

Under the new law, two board members would be selected by the Nashville mayor, Tennessee governor, and top two lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly, respectively. When the injunction was filed, the board went back to its previous selection process, by which members are picked by Nashville’s mayor and approved by the Metro Nashville Council.

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Nashville Mayor O’Connell Releases Policy Proposals from Transition Committees, Including East Bank Funding

Tom Pappert

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released three policy proposals from his transition committees on Tuesday, more than two months after he assumed office.

O’Connell released documents provided by three transition committees he created to examine how his government can serve residents of Nashville, better its infrastructure system, and encourage economic and population growth in the city.

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EXCLUSIVE: Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Stands by Metro Law Director’s Claim That Covenant Killer Manifesto is ‘Locked’ Under Court Seal

M.D. Kittle

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is standing by his man, Metro Law Director Wally Dietz, and his suspect claim that a court order prohibits the release of the Covenant Killer’s manifesto.

“To be clear: I’m not intent on withholding anything, but I’m not going to violate the best understanding I have of what the law is,” the mayor told The Tennessee Star in responding to questions about Dietz’s controversial assertions.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Orders Metro Legal to Investigate How Covenant Killer Documents Were Released

Tom Pappert

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell ordered an investigation from Metro Legal on Monday to determine how the photos of the manifesto written by The Covenant Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale, which were authenticated by The Tennessee Star, were leaked to conservative comedian and pundit Steven Crowder.

O’Connell announced the investigation in a statement to News Channel 5, telling the outlet he directed Metro Law Director Wally Dietz “to initiate an investigation into how these images could have been released.” At press time the Metro Nashville Police Department has acknowledged the documents, but has refused to comment on their authenticity or how Crowder may have obtained them.

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Mayor Freddie O’Connell ‘Committed’ to Implementing City Review Board

Peter D'Abrosca

Nashville’s new mayor said he is committed to implementing the new City Review Board despite controversy surrounding the body.

“Civilian oversight is important, and I am committed to getting our Civilian Review Board up and running as quickly as possible, Mayor Freddie O’Connell said Tuesday. “I have also confirmed that our human resources department will work with current employees who are in the unfortunate state-mandated position of having uncertainty surrounding how they are employed.”

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