Latest news with #MetroCouncil
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaders speak on ruling that cuts Metro Council in half
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday, the state Court of Appeals found 'the Small Government Efficiency Act' constitutional and House Majority Leader William Lamberth applauded the decision. In 2023, the state legislature passed House Bill 48, which limited the number of metropolitan councilmembers to 20. The law was seen as retribution against Metro Council's decision not to support hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention. Last July, a Nashville court ruled that the law violated the Local Legislation Clause of the Home Rule Amendment to the state constitution. Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Metro Councilmembers celebrated the decision. The ruling prevented the law from going into effect. However, a three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found the law to be constitutional and reversed the lower court ruling, allowing it to go into effect. PREVIOUS: Metro Council could be downsized following latest appeals court ruling Lamberth, who sponsored the House version of the law, added that Republicans would 'continue to cut waste at all levels of government' in a social media post Tuesday. Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson) also applauded the ruling. '[The] ruling is a win for efficient and effective governing,' Watson said in a statement provided to News 2. 'The law places restrictions on the size of metro government councils and is intended to improve government efficiency – a key focus of conservatives in the Tennessee General Assembly. The Court of Appeals affirmed what we have always believed, that the legislature constitutionally has the authority and responsibility to ensure government continues to best serve Tennesseans.' News 2 spoke with attorney Brandon Smith, currently a partner at Holtzman Vogel and the former chief of staff for Tennessee Attorney General Johnathan Skrmetti, about the decision — and he said he agrees. 'When a city becomes ungovernable and turns to taxpayers for bailouts, someone has to put the brakes on,' Smith said. 'The efficiency found from a smaller council — Nashville's council is currently the third largest in the country, just behind Chicago and New York, and it's been this size since the county was officially consolidated in the early 60s. It's time for some needed change.' As of publication, Metro Council has 35 district members and five at-large members, which boils down to each district representing roughly 20,000 people. Some worry about what cutting that representation in half would look like — especially when considering largely-minority areas. 'I really think it's going to hurt those communities, but it's going to hurt all communities because you're going to have districts that are going to be combined,' Antoinette Lee, Metro Councilmember for District 33, told News 2. 'To me, a plus for Metro — you did not have to be rich or a lawyer or be well-endowed financially to be on the Council because you could work your regular job and you can do this. That is going to be very challenging now with huge areas.' 'Antioch bows to no council member': Some constituents call for Metro Councilmember's resignation following immigration remarks As of publication, Metro Councilmembers get paid $25,000 dollars each year. This move could mean having to pay council members to go full-time to cover larger districts. Vice Mayor Angie Henderson said the math all boils down to how many of the 20 council members will be 'at large.' 'Why this bill was filed at the state and kind of the process that we're going through — I personally feel that the kind of call for efficiency and effectiveness was somewhat specious,' Henderson told News 2. 'I do think it was targeted legislation and that we can't just say by virtue of our size that that's inherently a bad thing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Journals
2 days ago
- General
- Business Journals
Metro Council cut in half by new court ruling
In 2023, Republicans at the statehouse passed a law capping the size of Metro Council at half of its current 40 seats. The majority in a new court ruling upheld the law, while starting the clock for Metro to decide whether to seek an appeal before Tennessee's highest court.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
LPR funding not included in Nashville Mayor's budget. Metro Council says debate isn't over
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday night, Metro Council will consider whether to change Mayor Freddie's O'Connell's budget. The changes include a property tax increase, however, it does not have funding for license plate readers. Metro Council approved the permanent use of LPR cameras last year, but after a six-month pilot, the program shut down. The cameras will not return unless a new contract is approved and funded. PREVIOUS | LPRs not listed in Nashville Mayor's proposed budget Some council members have encouraged private businesses and property owners to install their own cameras, as the city has not yet approved its own camera system. A new apartment complex coming to Hamilton Church Road in 2026 plans to include this technology. 'We want to make sure that you feel safe and secure; we want to build strong communities, and as I said, you can't build strong communities without being safe and secure,' said Alex Trent with Trent Development Group. District 32 Metro Councilwoman Joy Styles has encouraged private businesses and properties to install their own LPR technology while the program remains stalled citywide. 'They are working with us on great things like license plate readers being included and a gate being included,' Styles said. 'That is the accountability that we are missing in this whole city.' 'I think the private companies and apartments putting LPRs in place just shows how much Nashville wants and needs this type of technology,' added District 11 Council Member Jeff Eslick. Tennessee police departments share intel, use LPR cameras to track down theft suspect LPR cameras scan license plates and compare them to state and federal databases to help locate stolen vehicles and missing and wanted people. 'For the most part, it is going to help the everyday citizen, the taxpayer out there, live a safer life and feel better when they go to bed,' Eslick said. 'I think if we are going to add all this money to the budget and spend all this money to make people feel better, we should feel safer as well.' Eslick said funding for LPRs may come later. 'I think we are going to have to work out the budget, try to figure out where we are on that, and we can add LPRs,' Eslick told News 2. 'The amount that it costs to put the LPRs in place isn't something outside of what we could pull from something like the 4% fund.' | READ MORE | District 26 Council Member Courtney Johnston told News 2 that LPRs would not be included in her substitute budget proposal, saying in a statement: 'Putting that line item in any substitute would cause that substitute to fail with this council. That said, funding is not the issue. The issue is that we don't have support for LPRs from either the Mayor's office or the majority of the council to approve the contracts.' Eslick added that the conversation is not over. 'I think the budget is going to go through similar to what it is,' he explained. 'In a way, to kind of makeup for it, we will have LPRs on the agenda in the near future. Now, that doesn't mean it's going to pass. It's still going to be a struggle, but if we can just get it before us and start talking about it, I think we can find a way to get the common ground that we need.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Metro Council could be downsized following latest appeals court ruling
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found a law that would cut the size of Metro Council in half is, in fact, constitutional. In 2023, the state legislature passed House Bill 48, which limited the number of metropolitan councilmembers to 20. The law was seen as retribution against Metro Council's decision not to support hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention. JULY 2024: State law reducing Metro Council size ruled unconstitutional Last July, a Nashville court ruled that the law violated the Local Legislation Clause of the Home Rule Amendment to the state constitution. Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Metro Councilmembers celebrated the decision. The ruling prevented the law from going into effect. However, a three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found the law to be constitutional and reversed the lower court ruling, allowing it to go into effect. 'At its most fundamental level, this case represents a power struggle between State government and local government,' Tuesday's majority ruling reads, in part. 'I applaud the Court's decision today affirming the constitutionality of the Small Government Efficiency Act,' Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) said in a social media post. 'This action reins in excessive government growth while ensuring local municipalities across the Volunteer State remain accountable and responsive to their constituents. Republicans will continue to cut waste at all levels of government.' Nashville could appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court. 'We are understandably disappointed and concerned about the ruling's implications on local sovereignty. But we are also encouraged by Judge Armstrong's compelling dissent,' Allison Bussell with Metro Legal told News 2 in a statement. 'We are digesting the ruling and considering our options.' ⏩ I am grateful to the Metro Department of Law for their expert argument before the Court of Appeals in March of this year to uphold the Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County on behalf of the voters and residents of Metro Nashville. Metro Nashville was first in the nation to fully consolidate a city and a county government, and in so doing, a 40-member, highly representative, local legislative branch was created by the voters. I am disappointed that today's Court of Appeals decision failed to respect the will of our voters. The Home Rule Amendment of the Tennessee Constitution, in part, stands for the proposition that the size of the Metro Council is a decision for the voters of Metro Nashville. The General Assembly's 2023 Small Government Efficiency Act was advanced purportedly to address the 'efficiency & effectiveness' of Nashville's legislative branch. For the last 60 years, this 40-member Council has capably and effectively served the interests of our constituents, who today number some 715,000. Over the course of this recent term, this Council has delivered numerous efficiency improvements, and we will continue to represent all Nashvillians to the best of our ability. I appreciate the dissenting opinion of Judge Armstrong and look forward to discussing our next steps with Metro's Department of Law. Statement from Vice Mayor Angie E. Henderson Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Metro Nashville Council can be cut in half, Tennessee Court of Appeals rules
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that Nashville's governing legislative body can be cut in half. The court, in a split 2-1 decision issued June 3, reversed a lower court's ruling that a state law that would shrink Nashville's Metro Council from 40 to 20 members is unconstitutional. In a statement to The Tennessean, Nashville's associate director of law, Allison Bussell, said the city is evaluating its options moving forward. "We are understandably disappointed and concerned about this ruling's implications for local sovereignty," Bussell said in the statement. "But we are also encouraged by Judge Armstrong's compelling dissent. We are digesting the ruling and evaluating our options." The next step, if the city chose it, would be to file an appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, who sponsored the House version of the bill during the 2023 legislative session, applauded the court's decision. "This action reins in excessive government growth while ensuring local municipalities across the Volunteer State remain accountable and responsive to their constituents," Lamberth said in a statement. 'Republicans will continue to cut waste at all levels of government." The Tennessee Attorney General's Office, which represents the state in lawsuits, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The majority aptly began their analysis of the case by framing it as a power struggle. "At its most fundamental level, this case represents a power struggle between State government and local government," Judge J. Steven Stafford wrote for the majority. He was joined by Judge Carma Dennis McGee. The law, passed in 2023, would require city and metropolitan governments to cap their councils at 20 members. Metropolitan governments are combined city and county governments. There are three in the state — Davidson County-Nashville, Moore County-Lynchburg, and Trousdale County-Hartsville. At the time, bill sponsors acknowledged that while the bill didn't explicitly name Nashville, it would be the only local government in the state that would be affected — there are no other metropolitan governments in the state that have a council larger than 20 members. The law, and others like it, were seen as payback for Nashville's Metro Council rejecting a draft agreement to host the 2024 Republican National Convention. The city had successfully argued the law violated a clause of the Tennessee Constitution called the Home Rule Amendment, which prohibits the state legislature from passing laws that have a local effect without first getting local approval. The appeals court rejected that argument. The majority opinion notes that the legislation "clearly" is "a law of general application applicable to all counties that have formed a consolidated metropolitan government or will do so in the future." Nashville Vice Mayor Angie Henderson, who manages the operations of the Metro Council, said that she was "disappointed" by the decision and that it failed to "respect the will" of Nashville's voters. "The Home Rule Amendment of the Tennessee Constitution, in part, stands for the proposition that the size of the Metro Council is a decision for the voters of Metro Nashville," Henderson said in an emailed statement. "For the last 60 years, this 40-member Council has capably and effectively served the interests of our constituents, who today number some 715,000." The lower court had also found that the law violated another clause in the Tennessee Constitution called the Exemption Clause. That clause exempts metropolitan governments from a statewide 25-member limit on city councils written in Article VII of the state constitution. But the majority of the appeals court found the law comports with the Exemption Clause. They ruled that the clause exempts metropolitan councils from the 25-member limit in Article VII of the Tennessee Constitution, but it does not exempt them from limits passed through other legislation. This was the subject of Judge Kenny Armstrong's dissenting opinion. Armstrong argued the law is unconstitutional. His view is that the Exemption Clause prohibits the General Assembly from limiting metropolitan councils to less than 25 members, but that the General Assembly would be free to institute a cap of more than 25 members. Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Metro Nashville Council can be cut in half, appeals court rules
