EVENTS
The Metro Budget has officially been proposed for FY2025. There are two parts – the Operating Budget and the Capital Improvements Budget (CIB). BL2024-373, 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 $3.27 billion which includes a fully funded school budget of $1.2 billion and $30 million for affordable housing. There is no increase in the property tax of $3.254 per $100 of assessed value. The budget also includes a 3.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all Metro employees plus merit and annual step raises up to 3%, which should help with recruitment of hard to fill positions. Revenue growth has been projected to be flattening out after several years of post-COVID rebound. Therefore, it is mostly a maintenance year without many new programs. The budget continues funding to Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) to implement our Vision Zero Action Plan to improve dangerous intersections and reduce traffic fatalities. There is funding for 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 continue to fund WeGo’s Better Bus plan to run buses more frequently and later into the night. If the transit referendum is successful in November, the pace of implementation of these improvements will all speed up significantly. The full operating budget can be reviewed on the Finance website . The council will hold a public hearing at our next regular meeting on June 4 at the courthouse starting at 6:30. 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 Council department hearings and public input. Because Metro is required by charter to have a balanced budget, any increase in one area will have to be accompanied by a reduction somewhere else. The council is looking at amendments to increase the employee COLA to 4% to come closer to actual inflation. This will have to be balanced against other needs like additional Community Safety, Housing, and Childcare.
The Capital Improvements Budget, Bill BL2024-389 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 at https://www.nashville.gov/departments/planning/long-range-planning/capital-improvements . The CIB will be voted on by the council at an adjourned meeting on June 11.
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 a substitute budget at our June 18 meeting. Information on the whole budget process is available on the Metro Finance website and on the Metro YouTube channel
Brush Pick-up begins for
- Area 5 (Antioch, Cane Ridge, Paragon Mills) on June 5
- Area 6 (Brentwood, Crieve Hall, Grassmere, Abbay Hall, Sidco, WeHo) on June 17
- Area 7 (Edgehill, 12th South, Battlemont, Green Hills) on June 26.
NDOT will also be removing trees damaged by the emerald ash borer in Area 5. For more information on the EAB see the Metro Stormwater website .
Metro Water Services (MWS) has issued its annual Consumer Confidence Report showing how the quality of Nashville’s drinking water compares to required health standards. There is a wealth of information on where our drinking water comes from, how it is treated before it comes to each home, and what is measured to ensure that it is always safe and healthy. This year’s report has added information on PFAS, a class of plastics that has become a new concern because of its prevalence and persistence. New regulations were issued in April of this year. MWS has been testing pro-actively since 2015. The latest tests in 2023 found no reportable levels. MWS is piloting new types of carbon filtration to further reduce the potential for PFAS. Read the report at ccr.nashville.gov
For anyone who wants to learn more about how our water gets cleaned and treated for drinking, MWS is accepting applications for the Fall 2024 Citizen’s Water Academy! The Fall 2024 CWS will include five interactive sessions, held in-person over the course of two and a half weeks. This is a great opportunity to learn how MWS manages water from “river to river” and I encourage you to apply. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with MWS Staff and experience the water treatment processes by touring various MWS facilities - including the state-of-the-art Research & Analytical Laboratory and the historic Omohundro Water Treatment Plant. All MWS customers are eligible, but class size is limited, and the selection process is competitive. Through the Academy, MWS hopes to build a diverse network of leaders and influencers, representative of all of Nashville, willing to and share their knowledge within the community. Participants must commit to attend all the sessions below, which will be held at various MWS facilities. The Fall 2024 dates are as follows:
- Thursday, September 26 - “Imagine a Day Without Water” at the K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plant
- Tuesday, October 1 - “Protecting the Environment” at the Whites Creek Water Reclamation Facility
- Thursday, October 3 - “A Sustainable Future” at the Biosolids Facility
- Tuesday, October 8 - “Protecting Public Health” at the MWS Research and Analytical Laboratory
- Thursday, October 10- “The Value of Water” at the Omohundro Water Treatment Plant
ALL sessions are held from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. To apply, complete the application available online at Citizen’s Water Academy Application Form. The application deadline is September 13, 2024. Applicants will be notified of acceptance no later than September 17, 2024.
Trash and recycling will not be picked up July 4. Pick-up will be shifted one day for the rest of the week.
The Property Assessment Appeals process is underway. Property owners who feel that their assessment is incorrect can formally appeal by calling at (615) 862-6059 beginning May 20th between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, except on holidays.
The deadline to call and schedule an 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. More information is at (615) 862-6080 or the Property Assessor website
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;
- 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 -October. 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 at the TCLA website .
Metro Parks Music and Creative Parks Nashville, with the support of Centennial Park Conservancy, are excited to return to the Centennial Park Event Shelter this summer for the 2024 Big Band Dance Series. The community is invited to dance and listen to over a dozen local swing and jazz Big Bands from June 1st to August 31st. Free dance lessons will be provided by Dynamic Ballroom and Performing Arts at 7:00pm. Dance styles covered include Rhumba, Cha-Cha, Swing, Waltz, Foxtrot, and Two-Step. The band show times start at 7:30pm. This is great for dancers from 1 to 99 years old. Bring a picnic or visit the vendors. There will be water and food trucks available along with Fratello’s Italian Ice and the Lemonade Lady! Find information here .
Metro Parks also hosts the Full Moon Pickin’ Party bluegrass music series at Percy Warner Park during the summer. Admission fees benefit Friends of Warner Park. In addition to a full line up of main stage blue grass entertainment, impromptu pickin’ circles pop up all around the perimeter. Bring banjo, fiddle, or guitar and take advantage of the chance to play with many of Nashville’s great blue grass musicians. Schedule is at the Parks website .
Election season is well underway with president, one senator, congressional representatives, state representatives, and odd numbered school board districts on the ballot. The August 1 election will be the primary for state and federal candidates and the general election for school board. Nashville was split into three congressional districts, and all three are contested. Information about the elections can be found at the Davidson County Election Commission website . The last day to register is July 2. Early voting for the primaries begins July 12 and runs through July 27. The last day to request an absentee ballot is July 25. The general election day is in November 5.
ISSUES
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 or vice-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, Employee Benefit Board, Electric Power Board, Board of Health, Procurement Standards Board, Social Services Commission, Hospital Authority, Property Standards 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
I got my first mosquito bite today. In addition to making you itch, mosquitos can also transmit disease, so it is good for your health to try to avoid them. To effectively control mosquitoes, it’s crucial to understand their life cycle, as each stage presents a unique opportunity for intervention. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and regularly emptying out any water standing in flower pots, gutters, or toys and keeping bird baths clean, can eliminate options for reproducing. Mosquito larvacides like “dunks” use a natural microbe known as BTi to stop mosquitoes before they mature into adults. Putting those in bird baths or a “bucket of doom” can control mosquitoes naturally without harming bees, bugs, or butterflies.
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 www.burkley.org
Regards,
Burkley Allen
Metro Council At-Large