Vice Mayor Jim Shulman says he “could have done better” during a Metro Council budget hearing Tuesday night.

At the hearing, most Nashville residents echoed a similar sentiment of less money for Nashville police and more for education, housing and social services.

After four hours of public comments, Shulman recessed the meeting and told people waiting in the hall that they were engaging in “bad politics.”

Shulman says his concern was that senior citizens, teachers and small business owners were unable to voice their opinions because the phone lines were being clogged.

“Every single Nashvillian deserves to be heard, and deserves a voice. To those of you who came down to the courthouse to share concerns with your elected officials, I apologize,” he wrote.

Council has to decide among several budget proposals with varying property tax increase amounts and how to allocate dollars.