How will Metro spend your tax dollars? The answer will materialize soon as councilmembers work through Nashville’s annual budget process.
As one piece of the puzzle, the council has been hearing from the leaders of city agencies. The council will also hear public comments from residents in June. All of these inputs could lead to changes to Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s initial $3.8 billion spending proposal.
Typically, the Metro Council makes small adjustments to the mayor’s plan. Last year, for example, programs related to domestic violence gun dispossession and spay and neuter services were among the modifications.
More: Metro budget continuing coverage
Regardless of the outcome, the budget discussions provide a window into the priorities and challenges of city agencies. WPLN reporters have been listening in to bring you these dispatches.
This post will be updated after additional hearings.
Nashville Strong Babies shows success
Tennessee consistently has one of the highest rates of deaths tied to pregnancy, but there have been no fatalities among those enrolled in the Nashville Strong Babies Program.
That’s one highlight from the Metro Health Department’s $61 million budget request.
Strong Babies pairs new moms with caseworkers, doctors and nurses. Plus, it offers help like parenting classes, connections to other programs and essentials like car seats. Sanmi Areola, city health director, would like to see more Metro dollars for it.
“For me, the Nashville Strong Babies is an example of a program that we choose locally to invest in, and the more local investment that we have, the less disruption we have to the grants, whether they’re coming from the federal government or from the state government,” he told council members.
Last year, Nashville was one of hundreds of cities that abruptly lost federal funding. Metro Health had been using the money for measles vaccine clinics and to pay for public health workers.
— Catherine Sweeney
Homeless Services seeks budget increase
The Office of Homeless Services is on track to get the highest percentage increase in dollars from the general fund — up 41% or $5 million.
In its budget hearing, however, there were questions for Homeless Services Director April Calvin when she said the agency, “doesn’t typically carry a caseload.”
“Most of your work is done by the partners,” said Metro Councilmember Zulfat Suara. “It begs the question, why do we need more [full time employees] rather than just additional money for the partners that are actually doing the work, if our office is not dealing with people directly?”
In the hearing, Calvin said her department’s goal is to fill gaps and not replace the work of nonprofits partners. The budget increase would be, in part, to keep 15 of the office’s 48 permanent employees. Those salaries have been paid for by the American Rescue Plan, and those funds are sunsetting soon.
— Tasha A.F. Lemley
Residents await recreation center roof repairs
Metro Parks says it is still working to make repairs to various community centers that have been closed across the city.
The gym facilities at the Easley and Shelby community centers — as well as a portion of the Centennial Performing Arts Center — were shut down early this year shortly after the ice storm. Their closures came after the roof at the West Park Community Center collapsed last spring, prompting inspections that found similarly concerning beams at Easley, Shelby and Centennial.
Metro Parks Director Monique Odom says the current work is really just a short-term repair.
“It’ll buy us about maybe five to 10 years … a little bit of time. We’re mindful of getting those facilities rebuilt,” she said.
The parks budget is $77 million, with some funds directed to adding new facilities, including:
- Six pickleball courts and one tennis court at Cleveland Park
- Four tennis/pickleball combo courts at Charlotte Park
- One basketball court at Cane Ridge
— Cynthia Abrams
Metro Arts funding includes youth in crisis
Nashville is building a new Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment that will hold Davidson County’s juvenile court and other resources for justice-involved youth. Metro Arts has commissioned a sculpture for the lobby and a collection of 20 art pieces that will hang throughout the building.
The agency asked for an $85,000 increase in its budget. Interim Executive Director Ashley Bachelder wants to create an artist residency to engage young people.
“This would actually be creating artwork in the private spaces where the public doesn’t have access to, where there is some of the temporary housing and the meeting rooms and other spaces where there is not as much of a robust plan for art — but it’s equally as important,” she said.
Metro Arts also asked for a 10% increase in its grants budget, saying it could fund more projects.
— Justin Barney
Costs of e-readers driving library’s budget ask
The Nashville Public Library says costs are rising for some of its most popular offerings: e-books and audio books.
Library Director Terri Luke said e-books now make up 70% of titles in circulation — but the costs are different, because e-books are rented rather than purchased.
“You pay $76 to just lease an e-book for two years, and then compared to a print copy, which is $16 or $17,” she said.
Under the mayor’s proposed budget, the library has been allocated roughly $50 million.
The library is asking to increase the amount of money it gets for new materials. At the budget hearing, Luke also asked for:
- More funding for staff positions
- A shuttle to help the Main Library deal with parking displacement, after the adjoining garage caught fire last year
- An expansion to Be Well, the library’s public health initiative
— Cynthia Abrams
Metro budget dispatches were last updated at 9:55 a.m. on May 20.
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