Metro Council says it needs more time to set new districts

Nashville’s Metro Council is giving itself until April 4 to decide what to do about a new state law, slashing its body in half.

There’s a limited timeframe to comply with the law that cuts down the number of Council members from 40 to 20. Members gathered for a special meeting Wednesday night to review several suggestions on how to divide up those 20 council positions between at-large and district seats.

But they left without coming to a decision. District 35 Councilmember Dave Rosenberg said the council was not prepared to make a decision on how to divide up what that new map should look like or how many seats should be apportioned.

“The most consequential thing we’re going to do is decide how many districts we have and how many at-large seats we have,” Rosenberg said.

“And for us to do it on an expedited time frame like this, where we have no idea what we want, we have zero idea what the public wants — because there’s been no community public engagement whatsoever — would just be incredible legislative malpractice.”

Nashville is suing the state over the matter. They are asking the courts for a temporary injunction, claiming unrealistic deadlines and questioning the law’s constitutionality.

But while the lawsuit is ongoing, Wally Dietz, the director of Metro Legal, said last night that it is important the Metro Council and the Metro Planning Department make a good-faith effort to redistrict Davidson County.

“Everyone in this chamber knows what I think about this act, of the legislature. I’ve spoken against it repeatedly,” Dietz said.

“But at the same time, it is the law. … It is the hand this body is dealt. And the same hand has been dealt to the Planning Commission. And I am convinced that the Planning Commission should act in the best interest of Metro and in good faith to present whatever map it presents.”

Councilmembers have scheduled a public hearing and vote on the matter for April 4. That’s also the day a three-judge panel is set to decide whether the law should stay in effect during the Metro lawsuit.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated when the Metro Council’s special meeting on redistricting took place. It occurred Wednesday night, not Thursday night.