As the Trump administration slashes federal funding, Nashville has been bracing for its impact. Metro has filed suit — along with six other cities and 11 nonprofits — over two transportation and infrastructure grants that were put on pause.
Now, Metro’s Public Health Department is the latest feeling the impact, after three federal health grants were canceled. The move eliminated at least seven grant-funded positions, disrupted response efforts to measles cases and has the city’s law department weighing further litigation.
“These are lawful grants. The new president does not have the authority to terminate them,” Metro Law Director Wally Dietz told reporters. “There was a process for him to use. He chose not to. But, in my mind, we — and other cities — must stand up for our rights, for grants that were lawfully appropriated, signed into law and subject to agreements.”
The three eliminated grants included an Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity grant, a COVID Immunization grant and a Community Health Workers grant. These funded various positions, vaccine clinics, health literacy and temporary housing pods or “pallet shelters.”
The funds had supported the city’s measles response. With cases mounting nationwide, it has not yet spread to Nashville — but has been reported in nearby Rutherford County, as well as Shelby County.
The city has engaged its vaccine “strike team” to bring vaccines to community events. Dr. Joanna Shaw-KaiKai, Metro Public Health’s medical services director, said that after the grants were frozen, several days of planned measles vaccine clinics were paused. After the city was able to arrange alternative funding, the clinics resumed.
“Metro Public Health and Finance are working to identify every possible funding source,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “It’s a mix of funding sources … a lot of duct tape to cover capacity that suddenly went missing.”
Monitoring federal changes
Prior to last week’s cuts, O’Connell said Metro’s total federal grant awards — for general government departments — added up to $243 million, with the top four departments accounting for nearly 90% of that sum. They include:
- Metro Public Health Department at $72 million;
- Metro Water Services at $64 million;
- Nashville Department of Transportation at $48 million; and
- Metro Action Commission at $30 million.
Metro Nashville Public Schools — not included in general government departments — has a projected $97 million in federal funding for FY26. Both the school board and the mayor have remarked on the uncertainty over those dollars, considering President Trump’s recent executive order to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.
Dietz, the city’s law director, said he is actively working with other cities to consider litigation. When asked if he was concerned about retaliation for legal action, he said he didn’t think the situation “could get much worse.”
“This is a critical time in our country’s history,” Dietz said. “Will the court stand up and defend the law? Will the Supreme Court make it clear that the president does not have the authority to ignore lawful orders of federal courts? There will be a clash. It is already, in my opinion, a constitutional crisis because the Trump administration has determined that they are not obligated to follow orders of federal courts. That’s unprecedented.”
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