Campaign finance documents show that backers of the referendum to limit local government power have less than $1,500 in the bank, while the opponents “Save Nashville Now” raked in $616,958.
But referendum supporters have the well-funded Americans for Prosperity and taxpayer-funded Davidson County Election Commission on their side.
The campaign finance disclosures come as a group of residents, councilmembers and business owners are suing the election commission for continuing to defend a referendum.
The idea behind the referendum is to restrain elected officials’ power, make it harder to change the city’s constitution and make it easier for a minority of people to recall elected officials (along with a couple of other changes).
Last week, the commission failed to get the Tennessee Supreme Court to pick up the referendum early. Now, they’re preparing for an appeals court to hear their arguments. It appears that their goal is to get a higher, more conservative court to reverse a lower court’s decision.
Their goal is to have an election in late September, before the next property tax bills go out. But the Court of Appeals recently denied the commission’s request for a speedy trial, which could make it harder to change the upcoming tax rate.
The group Save Nashville Now argues that, since the special election isn’t happening in July like the petition states, the commission violated state and local law in choosing another date.
This is the second time lawyer Jim Roberts is trying to use residents’ anger over the 2020 property tax increase to push for this change.
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