Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation last week to change the makeup of the Music City Center’s board of directors. The change added three state officials to the board: the comptroller of the treasury, secretary of state, and state treasurer.
Even though the new additions are non-voting members, it will give Republicans a seat at the table and influence on the board’s spending decisions.
The bill to change Nashville’s convention center went through a few changes before finally becoming law. At first, it would’ve removed permissions to receive extra tax money to fund the building. But doing that would’ve likely put the convention center out of operation, so the legislation changed to make sure that funds were being used toward paying off the debt created to build the building, maintaining the building, and any related capital expenses.
Charles Starks, the president of the Music City Center, said the biggest change comes if they were to spend over $25 million on a single project.
“The board still continues to work the way it has,” he said. “Now, they put some restrictions on the $25 million that we’ve got to go explain that if we get to that threshold. And in all the conversation around that, that just means they just want to understand what it is we’re spending money on.”
He says a project of that size would usually include expansion of the convention center or repairs and renovation to the current building.
Democrats say the convention center has been operating just fine and that the state should stop trying to fix what’s not broken.
“What we’re doing here is a massive overreaction and interference,” said Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville. “We’re putting members of state government in a place of effectively vetoing decisions that get made at the local level.”
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