Tennessee’s Urban Mayors Team Up On Plan To Reopen The Economy

Mayors in Tennessee’s major cities are coming together for the formation of the Tennessee Major Metros Economic Restart Task Force.

The group includes top staffers from each mayor’s office in addition to 17 business and health care professionals from Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. They’ll coordinate the restoration of the business activities suspended by the coronavirus.

Gov. Bill Lee has expressed interest in reopening the economy in May, and local mayors say the task force will allow for a coordinated response.

“As employment centers and healthcare providers for their regions, the four metro areas must coordinate and help inform the statewide approach. Our challenge is restarting our economy with protocols to protect public health,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said in a statement.

The task force will begin meeting next week.