Nashville’s mayor lays out blueprint for upcoming city budget with education, housing and public safety potentially getting big wins

Nashville Mayor John Cooper took a sunny tone Wednesday during his annual speech about the future of the city.  

While laying out his administration’s priorities, Cooper recognized the shadow COVID-19 cast over his first term. But he says the city has turned a new page and is out of crisis mode.  

“This is a budget for full recovery. To take us to the next level. And really deal with city problems. We are going to invest in fundamentals. Fix what has been broken,” he said to a gym full of elected officials, city employees and residents.

Cooper delivered his annual State of Metro in Antioch. It’s a noteworthy change of scenery for the mayor whose biggest redevelopment projects are downtown. The city recently purchased the Global Mall, which is on the same campus as the Southeast Community Center.

The mayor is playing a game of whack-a-mole to address several pressing issues. That includes a new mental health court following police killings, emergency vendors to address trash pickup complaints and quicker turnaround times to fill in potholes.  

WPLN News spoke to residents at the community center, ahead of the speech, to hear what they wanted the city to prioritize.

“Education, the roads — like, make them wider — public transportation and more programs to get people who want to be homeowners. I worry about my daughter who’s about to graduate college. Can you even afford if you want to come back and build in your community?” says Tanya McCray Hicks, who lives in Southeast Nashville.

“Maybe the city could build some affordable houses? Because it feels like everything that’s getting built now is like over $500k. Maybe building something reasonable that’s like a new home that’s not insane,” Sean Kaelble says.

Here’s a few items on Mayor Cooper’s priority list for the upcoming fiscal year:

• For the second year in a row, education could get new money. $91.2 million to be exact. This would fund salary step and bus driver increases, family medical leave for all MNPS employees and updated facilities. 
• Committing the Convention Center’s $14.3 million payment instead of taxes as a consistent funding source for the Barnes Fund. Collaborative legislation from Cooper and Councilmember Sean Parker to come.
• Hiring 157 additional emergency response people: 40 more 911 dispatchers, 46 more police officers for the new ninth precinct in Southeast Nashville, 31 firefighters and more.

In June, the Metro Council will choose between Cooper’s budget or its own. 

Although if you pull out a magnifying glass, you’ll find a couple things missing. Despite significant turnarounds in the city’s busing services and requests for more money, the mayor didn’t mention any new money for WeGo. And the permanent supportive housing project to house people experiencing homelessness is behind schedule. It was supposed to open in the fall; instead, the city will break ground next month.

But the first term Democrat says the next year is all about families and neighborhoods — a return to old campaign promises as a decision about a second term looms.