Nashville Could Raise Several Fees And Permit Costs As Council Hunts For Budget Solutions

With another difficult budget conversation approaching, Nashville’s Metro Council is beginning to check the couch cushions for spare dollars.

Several potential fee increases are on the agenda for Tuesday night. In most cases, the fees charged to residents and businesses haven’t changed in years.

Already, though, this current council has made a point of revisiting fee structures. Members have increased Metro’s water rate, as ordered by the state, and raised the cost of a parking ticket. Building permits will rise soon too.

And now, the latest round of proposed fee changes:

• The council wants the fire marshal to update fees for 38 types of permits, including to use pyrotechnics, to handle hazardous materials and to host carnivals, among many others (RS2020-197).
• Developers may have to pay more if they apply for what’s known as a “sidewalk waiver,” which is essentially permission to not build sidewalks as part of a development (BL2020-153). A fiscal analysis suggests the move could bring Metro between $9,000 and $108,000 per year.
• The council is early in the process of pushing for more expensive beer permits for restaurants and bars (RS2020-210).

The fee for a beer permit hasn’t changed in two decades and is far cheaper than in other cities cited, like Atlanta and Savanah, Ga. The proposal suggests Metro could be making hundreds of thousands of dollars more each year.

To move in that direction, the council is considering sending a message of support to the Tennessee General Assembly, which would give localities more power over beer permits. Lawmakers are considering such legislation this year.

Debating Bigger Money

While the fees could help Metro’s budget, the bigger question is whether the mayor or the council will seek a higher property tax.

Many members say they’re willing.

But a new non-binding measure from Councilmember Steve Glover asks the council to consider other ways of balancing the budget first (RS2020-208).

He wants members to sign on to a statement that they will try to keep property taxes “as low as possible while adequately addressing the needs of our growing city.”