Gov. Bill Lee signs bill to shrink Nashville Metro Council

Gov. Bill Lee quickly signed a measure into law that will reduce the size of Metro Council. The bill passed out of the Senate first thing Thursday morning and was signed by the governor before noon. Usually, it takes bills days or weeks to move through that process.

The new law cuts the number of Metro councilmembers from 40 to 20. Many believe the bill is the latest form of political retaliation.

Last year, Nashville was a finalist to host the Republican National Convention in 2024. All of the top Republicans in the state pushed for the event, but in the end city officials, most of whom identify themselves as Democrats, voted down a letter to welcome the RNC, essentially ending Nashville’s shot at becoming a host city. Milwaukee was selected instead.

City officials say they plan to fight the downsizing.

“This attack on the Constitutional rights of Metro and the people who live here is very dangerous. It serves the interests of no one. Not the State of Tennessee. Not the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County,” Metro legal director Wally Dietz said in a statement released by Mayor John Cooper’s office.

“We hope cooler heads will prevail, but in the event they do not, we are prepared to vigorously defend the constitutional rights of our city and its residents.”

But state Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, sees it as a plus for any mayor in charge.

“We’re not punishing this mayor; we’re rewarding the mayor. Every mayor in the nation in the world would rather deal with a smaller body,” Niceley said. “Fewer people to talk to.”

Niceley added that decreasing the size of the Metro Council may also limit the ability of a Republican candidate to win a seat. Those in support of the bill also say the reduction will form a more productive body.

State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, says this fight will be bad for the state and the city, with both sides taking damage.

“We rise or fall together, and this is a conflict that nobody can win,” Yarbro said. “It doesn’t matter who’s going to win in court. It matters that everyone’s going to lose from this. It’s a negative-sum conflict.”