The six candidates vying to be Nashville’s next mayor took questions this morning in a public forum and at least two offered new initiatives. At-large Metro councilman David Briley wants to permanently take one cent from the county’s property tax and put it toward creating green space.
“I believe that we can create another thousand acres of new parks in this community spread throughout the county with just one cent. That’s $5-10 for every taxpayer.”
Candidate Buck Dozier, who also holds an at-large seat in the council, said infrastructure improvements are needed but that city schools need to be smaller.
“One key element of this is that we return, in Nashville, to do away with comprehensive high schools and we return to right-sizing our schools, to where kids can use those bicycle paths and use those sidewalks to go to school.”
Dozier also proposed creating an office of small business as a sort of hatchery for entrepreneurs.
Questions for the forum came from Belmont University students, chief of which was ‘what can you do to make me stay here after graduation?’
Answers were tailor-fit for the audience and ranged from making downtown living more affordable to improving public transportation. A recent study says 6 out of 10 graduates of Nashville universities do stay.
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