EVENTS
The Metro Budget has officially been proposed for FY2024. There are two parts – the Operating Budget and the Capital Improvements Budget (CIB). BL2023-1691, the operating budget, was filed by the Mayor’s Office after holding hearings with all the Metro Departments about what they needed to provide basic services for the city. The proposed budget is $3.36 billion which includes a fully funded school budget that will add Classroom Associates at each school to reduce the need for substitutes, and it provides $30 million for affordable housing. The budget also includes a 4% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all Metro employees, which should help with recruitment of hard to fill positions. The council is looking at amending this to increase the COLA to come closer to actual inflation. This budget funds new positions in the Fire Department so they can come much closer to the four firefighters per station that is the industry recommendation. This increases safety for the firefighters and lowers response time. The budget also includes funding to Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) to implement our Vision Zero Action Plan to improve dangerous intersections and reduce traffic fatalities. There is also funding for more sidewalks and traffic calming in neighborhoods, construction of infrastructure for all modes of transportation – improving traffic signalization for cars and buses, improving bus stops, building more bike lanes, and ensuring all infrastructure is in good repair. We are funding WeGo’s Better Bus plan to run buses more frequently and later into the night. The full operating budget can be reviewed on the budget website. The Mayor’s proposed budget is traditionally substituted with a Council version developed by the Budget Chair in collaboration with the Budget and Finance Committee members. This substitute process is currently under way based on our own department hearings and public input from Council’s public hearing. There is no increase in the property tax of $3.254
The Capital Improvements Budget , Bill BL2023-1268 is essentially a “wish list” of all the items that any department or council member has asked to be constructed in the next five years. Items have to be included in the CIB to get funded, but this legislation does not actually allocate any money. That happens later in the year through the Capital Spending Plan. Details of the CIB can be found here. The CIB will be voted on by the council at an adjourned meeting on June 13.
By charter the council must pass some version of the operating budget by June 30, or the mayor’s budget will stand as proposed. The council is on schedule to pass our substitute budget at our June 20 meeting. Information on the whole budget process is available on the Metro Finance website and on the Metro You Tube site.
Brush Pick-up begins for
- Area 5 (Antioch, Cane Ridge, Paragon Mills) on June 2
- Area 6 (Brentwood, Crieve Hall, Grassmere, Abbay Hall, Sidco, WeHo) on June 16
- Area 7 (Edgehill, 12th South, Battlemont, Green Hills) on June 26.
The Property Assessment Appeals process is underway. Property owners who feel that their assessment is incorrect can formally appeal at here. The deadline to appeal to the Metro Board of Equalization is June 16 at 4 pm. This local appeal is required in order to appeal at the state level later in the year if that is necessary.
The Nashville Transit Citizen Leadership Academy is gearing up for another informative session. The TCLA is an eight-session program on regional transit issues led by industry experts and leading professionals. Participants synthesize vital information through presentations, panels, discussions, homework, and reports. Industry-leading experts lead compelling and fact-based conversations and give participants the knowledge and tools to become thought and policy leaders on the vital role of transit in the region today and into the future. TCLA participants learn about the following:
- the process of funding transit and infrastructure;
- the impact transit has on our economy, health, environment, and equity;
- the responsibilities of local, state, and federal players;
- the importance of regional, corridor, and other studies and plans; as well as
- the emerging mass transit options that can address our mobility needs today and well into the future.
Registration for TCLA is now open. Class sessions are held Wednesdays, 4-6:30 PM, August 16th-October 25th, 2023, with breaks on September 6th and October 11th. Classes are in-person at various locations, with some being experiential–meaning we WILL be riding the bus and the train. More information is available on the Transit Alliance website .
The Council’s Health and Safety Committee is hosting the Safe Schools and Communities: Addressing the Gun Violence Epidemic meeting series. Hyperlinks to the meeting series are below.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. – Council Chambers Special Metro Council Public Health & Safety Committee meeting Co-Hosted with Education Committee Chair Zulfat Suara focusing on school safety with MNPD, MNPS, and the Nashville Fire Department, plus gun safety legislation updates from State Representatives Bob Freeman and Caleb Hemmer. Get details here.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. – Hillsboro High School Auditorium Moderated panel discussion with Daniel Chapin, Founder/President of The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, Moms Demand Action, and Shaundelle Brooks, Co-Founder/President of the Akilah Dasilva Foundation . Get details here.
Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. – Council Chambers Special Metro Council Public Health & Safety Committee meeting focusing on gun violence as a public health epidemic with the Metro Public Health Department, the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, Metro’s Office of Family Safety, and the Mental Health Cooperative . Details here.
Citizens can get more information and weigh in at the questions and comments link.
Governor Lee has set August 21 for a special session of the state legislature to consider gun violence reduction legislation. A website has been set up to receive public input in advance of the session. It is important for legislators to hear that most people support better protections. Nashvillians can express concerns on the state website.
Trash and recycling will not be picked up on the July 4 holiday. The rest of the week will be shifted one day for both trash and recycling.
ISSUES
The Council Office, in concert with the Planning Department and the GIS division of Metro ITS, is pleased to release a council district data dashboard. The District Data Dashboard enables council members and their constituents to take a deep dive into demographic data from the 2020 Census and the 2017-2021 American Community Survey for their council district and Nashville-Davidson County across 4 broad categories: Population, Housing, Education and Employment, and Transportation. Census data for Council Districts were aggregated from Census Block Groups. In some cases, Block Groups are split by Council District lines. When this happens, Planning staff assigned Block Groups to the Council District based on where the majority of the 2020 Census population was located. The dash board can be accessed on the Council Resource page
Openings on Metro Boards and Commissions. Metro has over 75 boards and commissions that help the government operate and interpret regulations fairly. These are composed of volunteer citizens with interest or expertise in the particular subject. Board members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the Metro Council. When current members’ terms expire, and they decide not to continue, there is the opportunity to add new members to the board. Terms are expiring, and spots may be opening up on the Continuum of Care Homeless Planning Council, Convention Center Authority, Employee Benefit Board, Health and Education Board, Board of Health, Historic Zoning Commission, Historic Commission, Hospital Authority, Barnes Fund, MDHA, Short Term Rental Board, and Tourism Board. Anyone who is interested in serving can fill out a nomination form at the bottom of the web page for the specific board.
The council has passed an ordinance creating the Nashville Music, Film, and Entertainment Commission. This fifteen member body is charged with creating policies to:
- Work with the Tennessee Entertainment Commission to promote the entertainment industry in Nashville and Davidson County and recruit projects and employment related to the entertainment industry.
- Promote racial and gender equity and establish mechanisms and metrics to maintain diversity and inclusion within the entertainment industry.
- Work to address quality of life issues facing individuals in the entertainment industry in Nashville and Davidson County.
- Support small and independent businesses within the entertainment industry in Nashville and Davidson County.
- Promote education initiatives and programming related to the entertainment industry.
The council is selecting three members at our next meeting, and industry groups are also invited to nominate members. The specific groups who can sponsor nominees are the Entertainment Industry at large, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), American Federation of Musicians (AFM), Recording Academy Nashville Chapter. The nomination forms can be found here.
The Broadway Bridge over the Gulch will be closed July through August to be completely replaced. Starting in June selected lanes will be closed on the bridge and 11th Avenue underneath. Once the bridge is fully closed traffic will be rerouted to Demonbreun and Church More information is available on the TDOT website.
Election season is in full swing in Nashville beginning with a special primary for State District 52 (Airport, Antioch, Percy Priest Lake area) on June 15 and general election on August 3 and run-off and special election for State District 51 on September 14. The primary is for the house seat that the council unanimously re-instated Representative Justin Jones to as interim. The election is required by state law to make that permanent. The general election in August will include mayor, vice-mayor, and council members. The court upheld Metro’s request for an injunction against having to reduce the size of the council. So this election will be for 35 district council members and 5 at-large as Nashville has had for the last 60 years. There are multiple forums planned to enable voters to learn about the candidates. The deadline to register to vote in the general election is July 6. Early voting runs July 14 through 29. The last day to request an absentee ballot is July 27. A complete list of candidates and information about the State Representative special elections for Districts 51 and 52 can be found on the Davidson County Election Commission website. I am among the At-Large candidates, and I do hope to continue serving on the council.
In May the council voted to raise Metro’s Property Tax Freeze threshold from $47,500 to $60,000. This was made possible by recently passed state legislation. Any homeowner over 65 with an income below the threshold can apply to freeze property taxes at their current level. Metro also has other property tax relief programs for veterans and property owners with disabilities. More information is available at the Trustee website.
Nashville General Hospital needs your help to replenish its clothes closet! Some patients face leaving the hospital without even the clothes on their back. NGH maintains a closet to provide clothing as patients are discharged. Summer 2023 is predicted to be a scorcher. The NGH clothes closet needs NEW* t-shirts, underwear, shorts and shoes for women and men. (Clothes L—3XL ; shoes 7-13) Easy purchase: NGHF Wish List on amazon $46 Cash donation will clothe one person (shirt $8, shorts $8, underwear $8, shoes $20) online or mail to NGH Foundation, 1818 Albion Street, Nashville 37208. Call the Foundation to get signed donations form. Deliver clothes to NGHF or Volunteer office.
The Mayor’s Office is once again inviting neighbors to join in a Participatory Budgeting process to allow community input and decision-making power on certain Metro capital projects. This process is now in the idea collection phase. These will be used to create a ballot later in the year. The ballot that residents will get to vote for in October and November can only be made of ideas submitted by the community. Neighbors are encouraged to make sure each council district is represented in the process by submitting ideas on what they want to see fixed or improved. Residents may submit an unlimited number of ideas. The suggested items should be for a specific location and should be physical improvements as opposed to requests for personnel. By working together, we can create a stronger, more vibrant community for everyone. The deadline to submit ideas is June 20th. Submit ideas at HUB Nashville.
I hope everyone’s summer is off to a good start. Let me know what is on your mind at burkley.allen@nashville.gov or 615-383-6604. Sign up for my newsletter at burkley.org
Regards,
Burkley Allen
Metro Council At-Large