Tag: Metro Nashville City Council

Nashville Metro Council Adopts Second Resolution Declaring Racism ‘Public Health Crisis’

Tom Pappert
MNPD meeting

The Nashville Metro Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a resolution declaring racism a “public health crisis” within Davidson County, marking the second time Nashville’s local lawmakers have passed such a resolution.

Originally sponsored by Councilwoman Kyonzté Toombs, the text of the resolution passed in Nashville states that black and minorities in face “significantly worse health outcomes than their white counterparts,” and claims these differences “are rooted in systemic racism.”

Read the full story

Inside Nashville Metro Council’s Decision to Deny Morgan Wallen Sign over ‘Aerial Encroachment’ and Past Remarks

Kaitlin Housler
Morgan Wallen

Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick provided an inside look of the council’s decision to deny a sign from being displayed on the exterior of country music artist Morgan Wallen’s downtown bar, explaining how the ordinance to deny such display dealt with “aerial encroachment” and was a “standard operating procedure” before members personally smeared the artist for his past actions.

Read the full story

Nashville Metro Councilman Jeff Eslick Says There’s ‘Room for Improvement’ for Keeping Nashville ‘Safe’ and ‘Clean’ amid Missing College Student Case

Kaitlin Housler
Jeff Eslick Nashville

Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick said the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has “room for improvement” in regards to keeping the streets of Music City “safe” and “clean.”

Eslick made the comments during a recent episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show as he and host Michael Patrick Leahy were discussing the disappearance of college student Riley Strain, who has been missing since March 8 after being asked to leave Luke Bryan’s bar in downtown Nashville.

Read the full story

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.

Read the full story

Metro City Council Votes Against Taser Upgrade for Metro Nashville Police Department

Tom Pappert

The Metro Nashville City Council voted against a new contract to purchase the latest model of Tasers for the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Tuesday, declining what proponents claimed was the opportunity to save money on new technology that will be more expensive to taxpayers when its purchase is eventually required.

Council Member Courtney Johnston (District 26) sponsored the resolution to expand the city’s ongoing contract with Axon, the company that manufactures and supports Taser devices, to upgrade to the company’s latest model.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville Council Passes License Plate Readers, Mayoral Candidate Freddie O’Connell Votes No

Kaitlin Housler

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.

Read the full story

New Law Blocks Nashville’s Supermajority Requirement for Speedway Demolition

The Center Square

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill to block Metro Nashville’s requirement for a council supermajority vote on demolition at the Fairgrounds Speedway.

Nashville’s council is expected to soon hear a proposal on Bristol Motor Speedway rebuilding the grandstand and track at the Fairgrounds Speedway in order to bring a NASCAR race back to the fairgrounds.

Read the full story

AG Skrmetti Declines to Appeal Injunction, Metro Nashville Council Reduction Expected to Go into Effect in 2027

The Center Square

Tennessee’s attorney general will not appeal a three-judge panel decision last week to block a bill intended to reduce Metro Nashville’s council from 40 to 20 members and will allow it to become law in 2027.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Monday that he would not appeal the injunction and attempt to have the law go into effect sooner. While the law applies to all metropolitan forms of government in the state, only Metro Nashville has a metropolitan council with more than 20 members.

Read the full story

Aaron Gulbransen Analyzes What to Do with Three Democratic State Lawmakers Who Participated in State Capitol Riot

Julie Carr

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Aaron Gulbransen, the Tennessee state director for the Faith and Freedom Coalition, in studio to give his position on the expulsion of  State Representatives Justin Jones (D-Nashville), Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), and Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville).

Read the full story

Tennessee Stadium Committee Chair Wants More Information Before Non-Binding Vote

The Center Square

The chair of Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee believes that the Metro Council does not have enough information from the mayor’s office to properly analyze and vote on a non-binding term sheet at the council’s Dec. 20 meeting.

In a series of posts on the topic, at-large Council Member Bob Mendes has pointed out that, while the mayor’s office has provided a breakdown of tax projections that are expected to send $2.9 billion in public tax funds toward the stadium over the next 34 years – not including $500 million from the state of Tennessee – it has not provided a projected breakdown of how those funds will be spent.

Read the full story

Nashville Committee Receives Overview of Legal Obligations for Tennessee Titans Stadium Repairs

The Center Square

Metro Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee heard an overview of its obligations for stadium repairs, including the legal department’s definition of the key “first-class condition” term at its most recent meeting.

The terminology is key as the committee evaluates the city’s options related to the current Nissan Stadium and the Titans’ proposal for a new $2.2 billion stadium, which could include as much as $1.5 billion in public funding.

Read the full story

Juneteenth Holiday Salary, Zoning Exemption, and Affordable Housing Among $16.5 Million Metro Nashville City Council Appropriations

Aaron Gulbransen

Tuesday’s Metro Council meeting featured dozens of agenda items in addition to the end of Nashville’s vehicle emissions program and the allocation of $3.15 million to the Metro Nashville Police Department for tasers.

In all, the Metro Nashville City Council addressed 84 items on the agenda published prior to the meeting. The municipal body dealt with issues ranging from children’s safety, building codes, and zoning to allocation of taxpayer funds, allocation of COVID-19 relief funds, the election of notaries, and more.

Six additional items totaling $16,500,000 in taxpayer funding was approved. 

Read the full story

Metro Nashville City Council Votes to Increase Police Spending by $10.5 Million in Finalized Budget; Activists Disrupt Meeting

Corinne Murdock
Activists Disrupt Meeting

Metro Nashville City Council voted to increase its spending on Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) by $10.5 million, per the finalized budget. Mayor John Cooper approved the budget on Wednesday. Some of this funding will go toward the new southeast precinct, totaling up a 5 percent increase. Overall, the budget sits at around $2.6 billion. 

Following passage of the budget during Tuesday’s meeting, the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition shouted down the council members during its 45 minute recess. As a result, the council was unable to continue its business on time.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville City Council Approved Downtown Sales Tax Increase

Corinne Murdock

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. 

Read the full story

Metro Nashville City Council Declares June ‘Nashville Pride Month’ and One Week in May ‘Black Restaurant Week’

Corinne Murdock

For the Metro Nashville area, the month of June will be “Nashville Pride Month” and one week in May will be “Black Restaurant Week.” Metro Nashville City Council passed two resolutions confirming these celebratory declarations at their last council meeting on Tuesday.

The Tennessee Star reached out to the sponsors for both resolutions. We asked “Nashville Pride Month” sponsor Zach Young what he meant by the statement that the LGBTQ+ communities had given “enormous contributions to the quality of life in Nashville and Davidson County[.]” 

Read the full story

Metro City Council Resolutions Propose to Make June ‘Nashville Pride Month,’ One Week in May ‘Black Restaurant Week’

Corinne Murdock

Metro Nashville City Council is considering two resolutions, one declaring June to be “Nashville Pride Month” and the other reserving a week in May as “Black Restaurant Week.”

The first resolution declared that LGBTQ+ communities add to the Metro area’s quality of life. The resolution said that it would also recognize the 33rd anniversary of the first Nashville Pride event. If adopted, the Nashville Pride Board of Directors would receive an official copy of the resolution. 

Read the full story

Metro Nashville City Council Considering Increase on Sales Taxes Downtown

Corinne Murdock
Downtown Nashville, Tennessee

The Metro Nashville City Council is considering a resolution to increase downtown sales taxes for generalized safety and cleaning. This .25 percent increase would apply to the Downtown Central Business Improvement District (CBID), and would result in an estimated $2.4 million in revenue. The Tennessee General Assembly authorized the increase during this past legislative session.

The resolution didn’t include an exhaustive list of what safety and cleanliness measures would be funded with this sales tax increase, but did note that it would include public safety, social services, and sidewalk cleaning. Additionally, the resolution noted that the funds would be deposited into the city’s event and marketing fund to assist in promotional materials and the recruitment of major conventions and group meetings.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville Council Member Condemns Recently-Deceased Local Faith Leader in Front of His Widow and Community Who Came to Honor Him

Corinne Murdock

Metro Nashville Council Member Bob Mendes condemned a recently-deceased local faith and community leader in front of his widow and community supporters during the last council meeting. That leader, Louie Johnston Jr., had a resolution drafted in his honor, which the city council deferred indefinitely earlier this month.

Multiple individuals attempted to speak about Johnston – but only one non-council member was able to do so. Mendes cut off the lineup of community members waiting to speak. Mendes asserted that Johnston’s Christian commitment to proclaiming God as the one true God, along with Johnston’s criticisms of the Muslim religion, were the reasons why Johnston shouldn’t be honored.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville Council Adopted Legislation to Preserve Local Music Venues

Corinne Murdock
Crowd at a live concert

The Metro Nashville City Council adopted a resolution to inventory all of Nashville’s music venues in order to preserve and support them. The council took less than a week to adopt the resolution after its initial introduction – no council members voted against it. Nashville Mayor John Cooper approved the resolution on Thursday.

The sale of the historic music venue Exit/In largely prompted creation of the resolution. As The Tennessee Star reported, the current Exit/In owners are skeptical about the purchasers’ promises to preserve the venue.

Read the full story

General Assembly Passes Bill Limiting Increased Local Government Oversight, Regulations on Construction Industry

Corinne Murdock

The General Assembly passed a bill to limit local government efforts to impose stricter regulations and oversight on Thursday. State Representative Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville) and State Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) were sponsors on the legislation. 

The legislation would prohibit local governments from accessing the personal information of employees, imposing additional safety laws beyond state and federal standards, and entering job sites without permission. 

Read the full story

Metro Property Assessor Claimed Resident Is Avoiding 2020 Property Tax Hike After Receiving Unanimous Council, Legislator Approval to Move Property Lines – Resident Filed Request in 2019

Corinne Murdock
Vivian Wilhoite

Metro Nashville City Council and the Wilson County Commission recently approved a request by Davidson County resident Mason Hunter to move the county line dividing the counties so that his entire property would be located within Wilson County.

Press reports questioned the merits of that decision.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville Council Passes Bill Reducing Lifetime Health Benefits for Council Members

Corinne Murdock

A bill to reduce lifetime health benefits for Metro Nashville City Council members passed on Tuesday. Mayor John Cooper quickly approved it on Wednesday. However, there were significant amendments from the initial proposal to the adopted version. 

Notably, the final version of the bill extended the grandfathering deadline – which also required council members to serve eight years or more – from 2023 to 2027. Additionally, Metro government will cover 75 percent of benefits during the first two years of continued participation in their healthcare plan, 50 percent for the next two years, and 25 percent after that. In the initial proposal, Metro government would’ve covered 25 percent.

Read the full story

Tennessee General Assembly Passes Bill Effectively Blocking Nashville Metro Council’s Construction Regulation Efforts

Corinne Murdock
State Senator Jeff Yarbro and Jack Johnson.

An amended bill would effectively block Metro Nashville City Council’s ongoing efforts to impose stricter regulations on the construction industry. The legislation limited local government from enforcing oversight measures like obtaining employee data, enforcing safety and health standards beyond federal and state requirements, gaining entry to worksites, and obtaining the information of suppliers for labor or materials.

The Senate last passed an amended version of the bill, 27 to 6. The amendments widened the bill’s scope to include remote in addition to prime contractors, and to include bids, proposals, and agreements within what governments couldn’t enforce as oversight tactics.

Read the full story

Metro Council Members Reject Candidate for Fairgrounds Commission Seat Because She’s Black, Not Hispanic

Corinne Murdock

Just enough Metro Nashville City Council members voted to prevent an individual from joining the Fair Commissioners Board because she was Black – not Hispanic, as they’d wanted. The motion to appoint Vice Mayor Jim Shulman’s recommended candidate – Sandra Moore – failed by one vote only because of the color of her skin.

The bid to appoint Moore failed during last week’s committee meeting. During their meeting, council members opposed to Moore didn’t discuss the merits of her qualifications. The Rules, Confirmation, and Public Elections Committee had just approved her hours before.

Read the full story

Tennessee Construction Industry Opposes Metro Nashville Legislation to ‘Radically Change’ Construction Standards

Corinne Murdock

Metro Nashville City Council is considering the imposition of sweeping regulations over construction, specifically the procurement code and industry standards. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Greater Tennessee Chapter issued a press release formally opposing the legislation. 

In part, the bill would extend direct employment to all temporary workers that are hired onto a Metro Nashville project for at least 30 days. It would also require that all contractors allow Metro-appointed, third-party entities to ensure compliance with the bill. 

Read the full story

Metro Nashville City Council Considers Street Parking Overhauls: Implementing License Plate Scanners to Eliminating Free Parking on Sundays and Holidays

Corinne Murdock

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. 

Read the full story

Verified: Remainder of Community Oversight Board Are Registered Voters in Accordance with Law

Corinne Murdock

The remainder of Nashville’s Community Oversight Board (COB) are registered voters in Davidson County. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office confirmed this information with The Tennessee Star.

The Star inquired initially after discovering that a recently-resigned member of the COB, Ovid Timothy Hughes, isn’t a registered voter. Hughes was convicted of a felony in 2008 – mail fraud committed against a previous employer. Not only did Hughes not disclose this information, he stated falsely before the Metro Nashville City Council that he was a registered voter.

Read the full story

Resigned Community Oversight Board Member Is a Convicted Felon, Not Registered Voter as Required by Tennessee Law

Corinne Murdock

Previous Community Oversight Board (COB) member Ovid Timothy Hughes somehow skirted the Tennessee Code’s standards for COB membership. Hughes isn’t a registered voter – he’s a convicted felon. That begs the question: the COB’s purpose is to ensure police accountability on issues such as misconduct, but what happens when the members themselves aren’t being held accountable?

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office confirmed with The Tennessee Star that Hughes isn’t an eligible voter. They explained that he was purged in 2008 for a felony conviction. This corroborates with details The Star reported on Friday. Hughes was arrested and charged for mail fraud, spending over $78,000 on items such as computer equipment and designer clothing using stolen credit card and private account information from a former employer.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville City Council to Revisit Lifetime Health Benefits for Council Members

Corinne Murdock

Unlike their government employee peers, Metro Nashville City Council members receive special treatment when it comes to health benefits. If they serve the two-term limit in full, they are eligible to receive lifetime health benefits on the taxpayer’s dime. All other Metro Nashville employees must work 20 years before earning similar lifetime benefits. These lifetime benefits reportedly cost taxpayers over $800,000 annually, which is projected to reach over $1.2 million by 2024.

Council member Tonya Hancock proposed BL2020-387 to change that rule in August. Hancock argued the bill was a step toward balancing the city budget and, in turn, lower property taxes. The bill would cut back on the 75 percent government-subsidized lifetime insurance for Metro council members. Hancock noted that a 2014 study discovered that no other peer cities offer retiree medical coverage for their council members. She bolstered her argument for the bill by noting that last year’s largest-ever property tax increase and over $4 billion debt with depleted reserves were further signs that the lifetime benefits were unwise spending of taxpayer money.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville City Council Votes Exclusively for Social Justice Proponents to Serve on Community Oversight Board

Corinne Murdock

The Community Oversight Board (COB) received four new members – all bringing similar perspectives and agendas concerning police. Metro Nashville City Council voted on the nominees during a meeting on Tuesday.

None of the nominees from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) – former mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain, former FOP President Mark Wynn, community members Mary Byrd and Brandy Holloway – were selected. Of all the votes cast, Holloway received no votes, Byrd only received one, Swain only received two, and Wynn received ten.

Read the full story

Metro Nashville Council Committee Objects to Dr. Carol Swain’s Qualifications for Community Oversight Board

Corinne Murdock

Metro Nashville City Council’s Community Oversight Board (COB) might continue to behave more like a police oversight board. During a special interview meeting on Thursday, the council’s Committee on Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections raised objections to only one nominee: Dr. Carol Swain. The committee also posed slanted questions to those nominees that had law enforcement relationships or affiliations.

Swain stated that her qualifications include her 18 years as a Vanderbilt political science and law professor, her degrees in law and criminal justice, her two appointments to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Tennessee Advisory Committee, her courses taught on civil rights issues, and her multiple testimonies before Congress on civil rights issues. Additionally, Swain noted that while she was at Princeton University, her two sons experienced racial profiling and her intervention led to an investigation that ended with police reforms not just in the town of Princeton but within the community. However, the committee voted that those weren’t proper qualifications.

Read the full story

Metro Council Passes Ordinance to Create ‘Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer’ and ‘Workforce Diversity Manager’ for ‘Social Justice’

Corinne Murdock

Nashville Metro Council agreed to create two new positions relating to racial diversity, equity and inclusion for “social justice” on Wednesday. If approved by Mayor John Cooper, these two hires could cost taxpayers over $250,000 a year.
Cooper has already agreed to the creation of these positions, along with Director of Finance Kevin Crumbo and Director of Human Resources Shannon Hall. The ordinance passed unanimously without discussion, after a unanimous vote from the budget committee.

Read the full story