Nashville Voters A Step Closer To A December Referendum Election

Nashville residents are one step closer to seeing a special election in December that could alter the city charter.

The document defines the functions, powers and procedures of the city government.

The Metro clerk said Friday afternoon that the Election Commission has verified enough signatures to warrant a referendum. Known as the “Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act,” the ballot measure seeks to limit the Metro Council’s power, including undoing its recent tax increase and capping how much the property tax rate can be increased without voter support.

There also has been a push to limit the council’s power from within its membership.

Councilmember Steve Glover has proposed a resolution that would amend the city’s charter and limit the council’s power. His proposed charter amendment would restrict council from raising the property tax rate more than 12% in a two-year period without voter support.

Glover’s second amendment would allow the mayor to declare a state of emergency and/or the director of health to issue an emergency health order that would expire in 30 days, depending on what state law allows.

The third amendment would allow petitions for a charter amendment each calendar year, instead of the current limit of every other year.

The Metro Council will consider Glover’s amendments on Tuesday, and each amendment would require 27 councilmembers’ support in order to proceed.

But the charter commission disapproved of Glover’s amendments during a Friday meeting, and other members are proposing legislation to thwart the referendum. Some warn that its passage would cause a major blow to Metro services and bog down the council by sending voters to the polls to decide too many policy matters.