Nashville’s Metro Council approved a property tax increase as part of the city’s $3.8 billion spending plan on Tuesday night.
In what Vice Mayor Angie Henderson termed the “most consequential meeting of the year,” the council opted in favor of council Budget Chair Delishia Porterfield’s substitute budget, which maintains the same property tax rate and overall cost originally recommended by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. It shifts a small portion of spending, including five amendments offered by members.
In May, O’Connell introduced his $3.8 billion plan, marking an increase of roughly 15% over last year’s budget. The combined tax rate in the mayor’s proposal (and Porterfield’s) is 2.814 per every $100 of assessed value. While the rate is down from previous years, it doesn’t offset the continuing spike in property values. The latest reappraisal showed an average increase of 45% across Davidson County.
Porterfield’s alternative budget retains much of the framework put forth by O’Connell. The differences are in the distribution of $9.1 million.
The adopted budget redirects the bulk of those dollars toward a higher cost-of-living pay increase for Metro employees. The remaining amount goes toward items like maternal health programs, the Nashville After Zone Alliance, food assistance, the Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer program, Metro Parks, emergency youth shelters, the Sister Cities organization and a museum study.
“There have been lots of conversations about if we have looked at ways to reduce the funding,” Porterfield said. “After very extensively searching through the budget line by line, this is what we were able to come up with to do the most amount of good for our residents, to provide excellent services to our residents at the lowest tax burden possible.”
Approved amendments on Tuesday added funding for a workforce training program, a domestic violence dispossession investigator, spay and neuter services and the Sexual Assault Center Safe Bar program.
Of those that spoke about the budget during the public comment period, all except one supported Porterfield’s proposal. Speakers included representatives of Metro Nashville Public Schools, city employees, the Nashville After Zone Alliance and the Southern Movement Committee.
Davidson County Republican Party Chairman Jason Weakley was the lone dissenter, urging council members to oppose O’Connell’s budget and Porterfield’s substitute due to the impact on taxpayers.
Three councilmembers — Courtney Johnston, Tonya Hancock and Thom Druffel — had introduced an alternative substitute that included a lower tax rate. The proposal would have set the combined rate at 2.646 per every $100 of assessed value, reducing the overall budget by $116 million.
However, before the body could consider the bill, the main sponsor opted to withdraw.
“To the taxpayers out there, I’m sorry that there’s just no appetite in this chamber for reducing spending and that’s the only way to reduce your tax burden,” Johnston said. “The fact is this body isn’t willing to squeeze at all. Who are we willing to the squeeze? The taxpayer. Whose voice has been missing from this entire conversation? The taxpayers, the ones that are subsidizing this historic increase in spending.”
Porterfield’s substitute passed with 32 voting in favor, six opposed, and two abstentions.
This marks the second year in a row Porterfield’s substitute has seen success. Last year, O’Connell endorsed Porterfield’s budget before the final vote. And, after Tuesday’s vote, O’Connell entered the chamber to embrace her.
“We’re moving forward with a common-sense, balanced budget that delivers on the quality schools, reliable services, and safety we all deserve,” O’Connell wrote in a statement. “That’s much of the work we’re going to be leaning into even harder starting today. I’m grateful for the thoughtful work of Chair Porterfield and the Metro Council in passing a fiscally responsible budget that improves the core government services we all rely on.”
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